By jcapobia
I am writing this blog just after the attack in London (3/22/17) and a week after the attack at Orly airport in Paris last week. As someone who grew up in the shadow of 9/11 (literally and figuratively), I’ve more or less lived with the threat of terror in the back of my mind. all my life. Although I’ve been lucky and never suffered the consequences of a terrorist attack and really haven't worried about becoming a victim myself, there's something about these recent attacks that have given me pause for concern.
So when tomorrow comes and I fly to Paris-- to the exact airport (Orly) where the terrorist attack occurred.--for the first time in my life, I am a little scared. I know this fear is not logical as my likelihood of being killed by my christmas tree is higher than being killed by a terrorist. Nevertheless, when I saw the pictures of London under lockdown after the attack, it made me very afraid because I remembered being on those exact streets just a month before.
I think I’ve always looked at terrorist attacks through the safety of a TV, thinking they occured in a world far away from me. However, something about being on those streets before, traveling to the airports, and being able to place myself in these hot spots of terrorist activity has made it all the more real for me. I’ll be honest,and admit that I am a little worried about my next two trips (Berlin, Germany and Paris, France) because these are two countries that have taken an active role in the Middle East and have been targets of previous attacks.
On the other hand, I realize I am lucky I study in Madrid, Spain. This country, like some others in Europe, has not taken much of an active role in the Middle East and therefore likely safe (nevertheless, when Spain joined the U.S. in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, they suffered a bombing on three trains in Madrid. The attack was loosely attributed to Al-Qaeda as a likely response to Spain's involvement in the war). I think there's a clear and obvious link between participation and death. Those countries that follow the U.S.’s lead in the Middle East usually suffer these attacks while those who stay out of the way are generally left alone.
If anything, this shows the intent and success of terrorists to coerce policy change through small attacks of terror that instill fear. Their message is clear: Join the war against us, and live in fear that the next attack will be against you. They use fear as their most powerful weapon because they know they are no match for the combined forces of the U.S,.Russia, Germany, France, etc.
Yet, we must not let this fear influence us. As we American students venture out into the world we must do so without fear, real or imagined.
When I was in high school, I had a pretty severe fear of rollercoasters. This fear, reasonable or not, was completely valid for me. I didn’t see any fun in risking my life to flip around in circles or get whiplash on fast turns. I was entirely convinced that death was possible if I rode a rollercoaster, something that gave me pause every time I entered a theme park. Part of the reason I was afraid was because the roller coasters themselves tried to give off the image of something dangerous, something that you should fear. Only for the adrenaline-junkie, those people without fear willing to risk it all.
Now let me tell you-- this fear was very limiting. In high school, I was referred to as “Bag Boy” (really my friends used a dirtier word, but I won't put that here) when we went to amusement parks together. This meant that while everyone went on the roller coasters, I would sit just outside the gates and watch all the bags. A very limited amusement park experience, self-administered to avoid perceived fears and the possibility of (imagined) calamity.
However, when I was a Senior and we took our class trip to Disney, I made a decision to enjoy it. So I went on Splash mountain, Thunder mountain, and all the other mountains. I went on the Alps ride that went backwards and upside down in the dark. I even went on that stupid elevator ride. All done without fear.
And man did I have a good time. So tomorrow I will board the plane from Madrid to Paris without fear. And in April I will go to Berlin without fear. Fear has no place in anyone's life as it limits you. Real or imagined, don’t let fear of terrorists, christmas trees, or roller coasters scare you. Fight back. Overcome fear.
Because after all, a life in fear isn't a life worth living.