Is it that muddy water? The fact that I can’t see my feet after going in only a few feet? Maybe I’m just visiting the wrong oceans. In any case, I know that it’s really the lack of control that stems from a fear of the unknown, but I like to think that it’s a healthy fear. One might call it… respect, for nature and the things under water that I know could kill me.
Take the picture above, for example. In case you don’t recognize it, that frightening sucker is the Australian Box Jellyfish. It’s the most venomous of its kind, so much so that, were it to wrap one tentacle around you for two minutes, you’d be dead. D-E-D, dead baby (Artisan, anyone? Leverage? No? Look it up.) Granted, this particular sea creature is only found in Australia. Still, let’s consider some statistics…
Sharks attack an average of 83 people per year, with six of those fine folks “sleeping with the fishes” as a result. Sure, that seems low, but then I’ll bet that that is exactly that all 83 folks that were attacked thought…
*Ahem*
Let’s consider that the CDC reported in 2005 that an average of 10 people drown PER DAY (for you math wizzes, that’s 3,650 every year). Not only is it tragic, it’s also downright frightening.
I know, I know, we should never let our fears conquer us, and rest assured that I’ve no intention of being dominated by anything, not even the ocean. You’re also probably wondering what exactly I’m rambling on about, so I’ll get to the point, namely that I think there is a lesson to be learned from fearing the unknown, and that is this: survival instinct is real. Whether it is the ocean, lions or an irrational fear of bunnies leaping through your closed bedroom window at night, fear is a response that can help us be aware of real dangers and respond in a manner that preserves our own life and sometimes the lives of the people around us.
So the next time you have a fearful response to something, though it might be delusions of grandeur… consider whether it is a legitimate worry from the survivalist within that seeks to keep you breathing just a little bit longer.
Copyright © 2018 D.M. Kurtz
D.M. Kurtz 