FEAR (Read & Reflect #6)
I’ve been thinking a lot about where the line between harmful preparedness and ignorant bliss falls.
I stood in the sand.
Looking at the houses I wondered, how much storm prep would I do?
Would I replace the plywood every year?
Would I research the best screws to hold the boards tight?
Would I rearrange the furniture in the house before locking up for the season?
Would I save to upgrade my plywood boards to polycarbonate shutters like the new houses are sporting?
How much preparedness is too much preparedness?
My dog dropped the ball at my feet and I determined it would be ridiculously ignorant to not do anything for the winter if I owned that home.
I’ve been thinking a lot about where the line between harmful preparedness and ignorant bliss falls.
It’s probably because I’ve lived through a pandemic followed by my mom’s brief battle with ALS. They’re events that I never anticipated and both left me with new respect for the mark unexpected tragedy can leave behind.
It’s extremely difficult not to get swept up in the mindset that if we do enough we can avoid or minimize pain and tragedy. It’s in our cultural DNA. Parents armed with Find my Friends, houses sporting Ring cameras, a 20 year old with fall detection embedded on their Apple Watch. On occasion, I feel like I should be moving through the world with MORE fear. I have fall detection disabled. What if I take a tumble and no one knows? Should I be better prepared?
There’s clearly no right or wrong answer for any of this. I also recognize that my privilege allows me to walk around with less fear than many others.
However, thinking back to my fantasy beach house, generally, I walk through the world as a plywood person. I don’t want to believe my world requires polycarbonate shutters. Some might call me ignorant and give me a litany of “what-ifs”, but for now I’m happy with my plywood.
Ideas for Reflection:
Do you lean toward the “plywood” or “polycarbonate” level of preparedness?
What are the benefits of having more positive assumptions about the world?
What areas of your life do you tend to “prepare for the worst”?
This article couldn't have been more timely. As I'm managing more and more of my mom's care, I lean toward the "extreme preparedness" side of things but that's not good for my health (nor our relationship). My therapist yesterday asked me to rank the various issues according to priority, and only deal with those that were truly pressing. It's a little like having a first child, she said. Some people tend to over-do the care. I wouldn't know that but I can relate.