Berlin Market Attacks
20 December 2016
Today the incident in Berlin is likely being broadcast across the world. A truck crashed through a crowd of people at the city’s Christmas Market, and by all accounts it seemed to be a deliberate attack. As our trip to Germany and its markets is only a few days away, of course our phones have been going off with people asking if we are still going, or if we are there now, and people are worried. We are thankful to have so many in our lives care about our well-being and hope we are safe. We are thankful to have family and friends who care so much.
This is one of those things that always raises questions. Should we go? What if we go and someone targets a market where we are? Is it safe to travel? These questions are always asked to us at times like this, and naturally we ask ourselves these as well. Terrorism is one of those things that is a reality in our world today. It’s horrible, but it’s a reality. How do we handle it as travelers?
Even without terrorism, there have always been worries about travel. What if the plane crashes? What if we get sick? What if they target tourists for crime? There are always questions and always potential issues. However we never stop to ask about the same in our daily lives. How often do we drive around a curve, simply committing to trust that the oncoming traffic will handle the curve properly and not cross over and hit us head on? How often do we face the infinite supply of “what ifs” in our daily lives?
Maybe the day we are on a plane is the day an engine blows out. Or, maybe the day we don’t take the flight for fear of the engine blowing out is the day we are plowed by a drunk driver on the highway at home. Maybe the day I would stay home afraid of being killed by a terrorist is the day I trip and fall down the stairs, and maybe facing the fears and taking the trip would save me from that fall. Maybe regardless of what you choose something will happen, or nothing will happen at all. The fact is, the chance of an American being killed overseas by a terrorist or being killed in a plane crash on an international flight is minuscule compared to that same American being killed on the highway, or in their shower, or having a heart attack. We don’t know what will happen or when. Life is a series of risks until the fateful day when our time comes. Maybe traveling is putting you to your fate. Maybe traveling is avoiding the fate that would have happened had we stayed home. Maybe there really is no such thing as fate, and everything is just up to random chance. Who really knows?
We are still taking this trip. We are going to go and do what we do. We will explore, we will find adventure, we will see the sights and taste the flavors and meet the people. With or without these fears, life is too short to fill our days hiding under the blankets. Life and adventure are risks worth taking, and we aren’t prepared to let uncertainties keep us back from them.
With all that being said, how much better would this world be if people filled their horizons with adventure and fun instead of violence and hate? That’s the world we would love to see.
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