I was out for dinner with girlfriends the other evening, and we debated the topic of safety in our city. One friend stated that she felt safer in Chicago than she does in our city. Another friend said that the area where our kids have gone to school near the University is notoriously the worst area for drug dealers and drug-related gang violence. And a third said that, during the school strikes, she advised a friend not to leave her children at home because this was the time when child predators are on the look out for victims.
Despite the fact that we have plenty of media to point out the negative, I can’t help but feel that we are no worse off in one particular area of the U.S. than another, and that fear is begetting more self-focused and individualistic behavior that might poison the very environment we live in. Sort of like “sending negative energy into the universe”, by behaviors that are me-focused.
So how do we get out of our own heads of fear and move toward a better society? Although I don’t have the complex solution, I believe we could at least start with empathy and compassion. Look around us. Know thy neighbors really well. Find support from family, friends and networks who can help keep our children safe, while looking to be more involved in ways to make the world a better place for the future of our children and their children.
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