Interesting Times

There is an old curse that goes "May you you live in interesting times."

Good Lord, do we live in interesting times.  The world seems very dark and foreboding right now.  It feels as if we are on the cusp of something big, dark, and ugly.  The times are indeed interesting.  Every time you turn around, something horrible has happened.  A massacre in Paris.  A fighter jet shot down over Turkey.  Pilots shot and killed.  An explosion on a bus full of people in Tunisia.  The city of Brussels under a police lock down.  The United States has issued a travel warning for all Americans.

Interesting Times, indeed.

It's gotten to the point where I both fear what I am going to hear on the news, and feel compelled to check in on the news and find out what is going on.  I have become a news junkie, checking in with the wire services and the BBC News on a regular basis.  I have pulled out my shortwave radio, and dusted it off.  Late at night, when I am having trouble sleeping, you'll find me listening to broadcasts from around the world, trying to find out what is going on where.  We are living in frightening times.  I am not fear mongering. You won't find me discussing my deepest thoughts and fears on here.  You won't read about anything I hear on the shortwave late at night.   I am trying to keep tabs on what is going on in the world around me.  Our mainstream news media does not report everything.  You serve yourself and your family well if you keep track of what is going on in the wider world.

The Coast Guard defines Situational Awareness as "the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the critical elements of information about what is happening to the team."  

I remember my Dad talking to me about "situational awareness" when I was learning to drive.  In turn, I discussed this with my children as they were learning to drive.  I told them to always be aware of what is going on around them.  Whenever we head out into the city, a shopping mall, or any other large crowded place, I stress the importance of knowing what is going on around them at all times.
 
We were caught in a hotel fire when I was a child.  (The day after Thanksgiving, actually.)  My Dad got us successfully out of the hotel - we were on the 10th floor - and the fire was down the hall from us.  He had counted out the doors to the stairwell when we checked in, and had already followed the stairs to find out where the emergency stairs came out downstairs.  When the fire broke out, Dad handed each of us a wet towel, and pointed us to the left, down the hall towards the stairs - "Count 6 doors on the left, the seventh is the stairwell.  20 flights of stairs down, Go out at level G, turn right, and I'll meet you by the large planter full of Christmas trees".  We followed his directions, and found our meeting spot.  Dad was just minutes behind us.  He'd grabbed the suitcases and stopped to knock on the doors of the rooms between ours and the stairs before heading down.  I'd say that lesson in being aware of my surroundings has stuck with me.  That particular incident happened 40 years ago, and I still remember it as if it was yesterday.

I am not asking  you to avoid holiday celebrations.  I am not asking you to hide in your house.  I am not asking you to carry a concealed weapon in order to "take out" someone who looks suspicious.

I am asking you to be aware of what is around you at all times.  Be aware of people or things that look "wrong" or "out of place".  Trust your gut.  Know where the exits are.  Don't become complacent in your surroundings when you are out in large public places.

We are living in interesting times, my friends.  It pays to be aware and alert of what is going on in your immediate surroundings.

Meantime, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with the people that you love.  Hug them often, hold them tight.