Throwing Caution to the Wind

As a child I loved to swim in the ocean.  I do less of that now for reasons which include jellyfish, riptides, rogue waves and sharks.  I still love going to the beach and occasionally I swim.  But the longer you go in life, the more you know about risks and what-ifs.  You become more cautious, vigilant and protective.

On a downhill hike recently my husband and I were tentatively negotiating a steep and slippery slope after a light rain.  A cheerful group of younger hikers breezed by us as though strolling along a level sidewalk.  Even their dog was carefree.  After they passed us we marveled at how our caution has grown over the years.  We’ve each weathered slips and falls enough to give due respect to a slippery precipice.   

In my early twenties a group of friends watched a skydiver on TV and I commented that I wouldn’t want to do that because you could die.  A guy named Marty replied quite matter-of-factly, “If you’re afraid to die, then you’re afraid to live.” For the first time I wondered whether abundance of caution could keep me from most fully embracing life.

Fear and caution saturate our culture.  From Read more