Once again we hear about a horrible attack on innocent people by someone who  apparently is full of hatred. This time it was on U.S. soil, and at an airport. Sadly, could this be the new norm for all of us now?

Many around the world already face this on a daily basis, yet they go through their daily lives, not changing a thing, except knowing the possibility that an attack could take place at any moment. Let’s not isolate this to just extremists from other countries. We have our own home-grown ones here. And it doesn’t always take a lot to set them off. How do we handle our fears in facing the possibilities that these kind of attacks can happen anywhere or to anybody?

Yesterdays attack at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport, brought to light my fear of flying anyway, in addition to this taking place at that location. So of course when I heard about this, the fear became greater for me. However, if I ever need to get on a plane, I most likely still would. They say facing one’s fears is the best way to overcome them. And I say yes, very easy for someone else to say.

For those who are in my age range, you can’t help but remember the Cold War back in the early 60’s. John F. Kennedy was president then and our enemies, being Cuba and Russia, were constantly making threats involving nuclear warfare. How many recall practicing bomb/air raid drills at school?  We would huddle up into a ball either under our desks or out in the hallway near the lockers. Yes, that would certainly protect you from an atomic bomb!

I can recall panicking and crying at home when I heard a plane go overhead, thinking a bomb was going to be dropped. It was not something a 6 or 7-year-old should worry about, but it was a fact of life for a while. You never think about the future, just that moment in time. Obviously, it all worked out in the end. The lesson learned over the years, there is always a part of the world in turmoil, even if it isn’t yours.

None of us is going to stop living. We will continue to go to work, school, shop, do events, and travel to places where crowds gather. The difference is being aware of everything. Become your own psychologist. It really doesn’t take too much to know if you feel uncomfortable in a situation. Analyze your surroundings. Go with that feeling you think is silly, because it may not be. Intuition or instinct is just something that we have. It can be good or not so good.

We are living in a different time. Some people need to take off the rose-tinted shades. Sad fact is that our lives can change in an instant. It’s really always been that way, however now with a new dynamic involved. This is 2017.  This is no longer life as we are used to knowing it!