Risky Business (15)

           A little bit about me: I'm not as adventurous as some may think. I too have bounds. For instance, there are many risks that I am not willing to take. First, I do not believe in most of the crazy out-of-this-world experiences that this world has to offer such as, running with the bulls in Spain, boarding a rocket ship and calling it home for a matter of years, or searching through a diseased rainforest to find a new tribe of natives. Second, I do not believe in anything that involves fire or flames such as, turning on and off a gas stove, roasting a marshmallow for an extended period of time, or smoking (since it involves a lighter). Third, I do not believe in taking unnecessary risks, period.

My first and third reasons are related, since running with bulls, being an astronaut, and journeying through rainforests are all clearly unnecessary risks. Not all crazy out-of-this-world experiences are unnecessary risks though. For instance, sky diving is a very crazy out-of-this-world experience, yet if you are sky diving with someone you love, who also happens to be someone who has sky diving listed on their bucket list, it cannot be classified as an unnecessary risk. The category of unnecessary risks is a broad category, because it ranges from not wanting to live in St. Louis, Missouri (since it has the highest crime rate as of 2011) to being afraid of driving as a teenager (since 5,000 teenagers die every year in car accidents and another 400,000 are seriously injured). There are a lot of unnecessary risks that surround my everyday life, but I feel that I am adventurous enough as is and that I do not need anymore excitement by taking more risks than necessary. 

My second reason is viewed by many as irrational. Fire is an aspect of everyday life; ever since the Stone Age, when the cavemen so bravely invented it. People laugh out loud when I explain to them my fear of fire, yet I do not laugh out loud at people who are afraid of heights and cannot go on roller coasters, or people who are afraid of Halloween and cannot go to Frightmares or any other haunted happening. No, I simply accept those people for who they are. Why is it so hard for people to accept a fear of fire then? Fire is just as scary, if not scarier, than werewolves, vampires, and roller coasters breaking and plummeting people to their deaths. In fact, more people die every year from fire related incidents than werewolves, vampires, and broken roller coasters combined. I do not know why I am so horrified of flames, but I can assure everyone that my fear is not getting any better and at this rate will not be overcome easily. Is my fear irrational, possibly, but aren’t everyone’s?

Every morning I take risks by handling smoking hot hair straighteners that could cause third degree burns, eating solid foods that I could choke on, and putting on eye makeup that could possibly cause an eye infection. Every day at school I take risks by ripping out notebook paper that could slip and give me a paper cut, walking down flights of stairs that could result in one fatal trip and a lifetime of paralysis, and running the mile in physical education that could possibly result in my heart bursting right out of my chest. Every evening I put on a brave face as I wash the dinner dishes hoping a knife does not strike out in defiance against me leaving me with only nine fingers, cuddle up under my three layers of comforters praying I will not suffocate in my sleep, and set my alarm for a correct wake up time knowing that if this small device dies in the middle of the night my whole life’s plan will be ruined and set back a matter of hours. 

Yes, there are many risks I am not willing to take, but every day I take the necessary risks required to lead a normal life. What more can anyone ask of me?