Rant on Fear

Fear is a living, breathing thing. It can take hold of your heart, mind, and spirit and drag them down to the lower planes of hell. Anyone who says there is nothing to fear but fear itself has never really stood face to face with fear. Tell someone dying in a hospital that fear isn't standing by the bed. Or tell their spouse that the one person they've shared their hopes, dreams, heart, and soul with won't survive the night. Then, watch fear enter the room and slap him/her across the face. Tell a soldier in the field that they haven't anything to fear, even though they have seen their closest friends, comrades all, lying in pools of blood. Tell his or her family who let fear into their homes and hearts every time the doorbell rings, because this could be the time that someone is there to tell them that their child, sibling, spouse, or parent will never be home again. Try to tell a small child that is sleeping alone, for the first time without a nightlight or blankie, that fear isn't hovering in the darkness, just beyond the child's senses. This child usually can give "the monster" a name, a face, a personality all its own, although the child never calls it "fear". If fear is a palpable thing to the dying patient, spouse, soldier, family, or a child, wouldn't the same be true for us?

So what are we as an individual, a people, or a world to do?
(1): Hide in our own little worlds and never make a connection with another living thing, so we won't be hurt.
(2): Never try anything new so that we feel safe and secure.
(3): Pretend bad things never happen? At least then we won't have to deal with the consequences.

There are many other options, opinions, and arguments surrounding this particular subject. I have my own theory:

A wise person once said that life is a river. Always flowing, until it empties into the vast ocean of oblivion. If this is true, we have two choices: stand on the shore in fear, watch all the loved ones we have known get swept away by time, finally succumbing to the tide ourselves; or, we can fight the current every inch of the way. All the while, enjoying the view, the ride, and the experiences the river slams into us. The choice is yours, but as for me, I'll meet you in oblivion. I'll be the one riding the well-beaten surfboard.