I am a worrywart. A constant worrier. People
advise me just to forget whatever that’s not in my control and leave it as it
would fly by. Well, but what if those concerns come true, slapping the face or
stabbing the back of my defenseless self? Alright, alright, ……. Let me just get
more real. There will hardly be such things as the staircase in my house
collapsing overnight, the basement filled with icy water after a severe rainstorm,
or half of the rooftop blown away by gusty wind. Wait… that can happen.
Actually quite a few of the unexpected natural disasters have certainly
occurred in my place in the past 8 years here in the mid-west town. The dickens of what happened was that I
was not well prepared at all for those worst case scenarios. I was just gravely
concerned about the bad things yet to come. Pitiful.
Unlike myself or my
husband – no offense though, our son has always been a strategic schemer, at
least, in the back of his mind. He
used to belong to a cub scout in elementary school, which had taught him a lot
of precious skills for self-defense in times of crisis. Since those days, he
says he has been imagining myriads of possible kidnap scenes on his way back
home and visualizing how to snap out of the critical moment of life-and-death.
In case when a stranger came up to him for help to find his missing pet, he’d
just say “So sorry, but I’m afraid of dogs.” and then run away. In some other
situations where a stranger approached and told his mom (me) was waiting for
him just around the corner, he’d say “No, my mom is waiting for me at the
parking lot now. Would you like to meet her?” The self-help actions in his mind
had been more specified and complicated as he was growing. Along with all the
superstitious talismans on the wall
of his room, he keeps a flashlight, a couple of light sabers, ropes, and pepper-and-nutmeg
sprays beneath his bed. If there was an intruder, he’d spray the
pepper-and-nutmeg spray into the invader’s eyes and jump out the window using
the rope and then roll all the way down on the roof slope. Sounds a bit too foolhardy and cute,….but better than
defenseless parents.
Since he
left for college, my worries have increased about his campus security, various
peer pressure, alcohol…etc etc. However, the college authority always helps
students and parents stay alert and informed on campus crimes. Here’s an
example of the campus safety notice email from school:
“Dear campus community member:
We would like to inform you of a
crime that has recently occurred in the campus area so you have the information
you need to take the appropriate precautions. This Campus Safety Notice is issued
in accordance with a federal law
requiring universities to disclose information about crime to aid in the
prevention of similar crimes and to assist in the identification of offenders.
This message alone is not
necessarily an indication that crime rates on campus have increased or that a
pattern of crime has emerged. For a more comprehensive look at crime in your
area, please visit CrimeReports.com.
The following robbery took place at
approximately 0200 a.m. on Sunday, January 24, in the parking garage of the …………………The
victim was walking to his vehicle, in the lower level of the KCPA parking
garage, when he observed one of the offenders staring at him. When the victim asked the offender what he
was staring at he was struck from behind by a second offender causing him to
blackout. When he awoke, the money in
his wallet had been taken. The first offender was described as ……………
Information
about the race or ethnicity of alleged offenders is provided only to aid
detailed descriptions that include physical stature, clothing or unusual
characteristics. Racial descriptions do not, by themselves, offer a meaningful
picture of an individual’s appearance.
This
is our community. Let's stay together.
Stay together.
Do not walk alone at night. Travel in groups and in well-lit areas. Call
……………..d for a SafeWalks escort if you need one, or download the app for iOS or
Android.
Be alert, and trust your
instincts. If it doesn't feel right, it
probably isn't. Call police if something looks odd — we're happy to assist, and
even the smallest bit of information could prevent another crime.
Watch out for each other.
Call 911 immediately if you or someone else is in danger. The University
encourages students to take appropriate action to protect others’ safety by
reducing students’ fear of legal or disciplinary consequences to the victim or
themselves. For more information, please review the Medical Amnesty and Good Samaritan procedures.
If
you choose to consume alcohol, please be responsible. Remember your ability to
respond is diminished by overconsumption of alcohol.”
If you’re
also the one who can scarcely experience ataraxia or stay insouciant with unnecessary and nugatory
concerns about the future, just stop worrying but be prepared! Only the ones
who are in the moment can live life to the max. As we are all aware, “Yesterday
is history, tomorrow is mystery, and today is a gift. That’s why we call it the
‘present’!!!” ;-)
Expressions
worrywart: a person who worries about
unimportant things
The
dickens of something is that….:
The bad/evilish thing/problem about something is that…./ ‘dickens’ is used for
emphasis, euphemistically invoking the devil
in/at
the back of one’s mind:
if something that worries you is at the back of your mind, it is always in the
corner of your mind even if you do not spend time pondering about it
e.g., It's always in the back of my mind that this
low back pain will recur like a chronic illness.
talisman: (noun) an object that is considered to
have magic powers and to bring you good luck
foolhardy: (adjective) reckless/ thoughtless
in
accordance with: (phrase) according
to the rule or the law by which something should be done
Good
Samaritan: (noun) a person
who gives help and sympathy to people in need
ataraxia: (noun) a state of freedom from emotional disturbance/ tranquility
insouciant: carefree/ not being worried about
anything
nugatory: having no purpose or value/ trifle
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