I think that's why I have an issue with watching the local news. It only took thirty seconds tonight for me to hear that a Chicago firefighter died of West Nile virus and that meningitis is breaking out in Indiana. My first thought was, "Thankfully I have health insurance again" (eight months without it, now that's a fun exercise in anxiety). Then I started to worry a little, thinking about how close to home a freak tragedy, accident or illness can be.
So what's the solution to that? Stop living my life? Become a recluse? Give up the outdoors because I'm afraid of running into an infected mosquito or other contagious humans?
On other days, living in the city and hearing what goes down, the worry has extended to being mugged, shot or getting my car stolen. Oh, and we haven't even broached how secretly sinister people can be while coming off as well-adjusted members of society. Which is fine, you get the point (and hopefully I haven't sent you into a spiral of paranoia).
I'm all for erring on the side of caution and analysis in life, but there comes a point where you're better off not looking too closely. I like vacationing in equatorial countries with rain forests, so I wear bug spray and drink bottled water if I must. Short of an impenetrable force field, I'm pretty sure that's all I can do short of restricting myself from doing things I love.
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