Come back when you have a real list.

According to an article on the Newsweek website (Newsweek stopped publishing their printed version several years ago) now is not the correct time to worry about the Ebola virus.  There are several things much more worrisome, (What, nothing about spiders) for people living in America.

While it is very reassuring that Ebola will probably not cause my untimely demise (in my opinion it will be untimely anytime) it is nice to know someone is still thinking about other lethal problems.

Being decapitated by a roller coaster was not even on the radar, until now.  Sure, there was always the secret suspicion that a person could be launched into low Earth orbit by a faulty seat belt detection module, and a careless, bellicose ride operator.  But, if that happened I was taking the person in the car with me, sorry son, you shouldn't have made me get on that suicide machine.

Being killed by horses was always a concern, however armed with the knowledge that over 100 people in this country every year are killed in "equestrian related activities" really cements the concern in the psyche.  Occasionally, in Columbus, mounted police patrol streets when there are festivals, or events.  They might as well start riding pit bulls, or those nasty, awful wolf things from the Lord of the Rings, called Wargs, I think.  Plus, every year we have the Quarter Horse Congress, (whatever that is) we should probably make sure our wills are current, and our final arrangements... arranged(?).

Malaria, food poisoning, bee stings, self immolation from excessive drinking, all of these could kill me.  Thank you, Newsweek, for making me aware of these potentially lethal incidents, but, trust me, that is an amateurs list.  You wrote nothing about elevators, scorpions, jelly fish, sharks, tall buildings, flying, lightning strikes, falling space debris, commuting,  and on and on.

When you are ready to talk about impending doom and catastrophe you can send me an email, and we will put together a real manifest of hazard.

Don't make me tell my Mom.

As the world edges closer to the brink, and it looks increasingly desperate each day, I am often comforted by remembering the dear words of my deceased Mother.  "If you fall off of that chair and break your neck I am not taking you to the doctor until dinner is over."  Or, something like that I don't really remember, funny you would think something that was said so often would be engraved in my memory.  Anyway the point she was trying to make was risk aversion is not healthy, but accepting too much risk when it could adversely affect the well being of others is not wise, either.  My Mother was big on metaphor.

Recently, the governments of the world have been engaging in some very risk prone behavior, I won't mention names, but you know who you are.  It has become almost accepted to act irresponsibly with the lives of others.  And they are beginning to act as if they are playing a bizarre game of "Duck, duck, no you duck, you big chicken?"


Well, it is time to grow up.  We are all stuck on this one, single, small, frail, overcrowded, noisy, messy planet, and you guys are starting to make me a little uncomfortable, so please stop.

Act responsibly, work together, and smile a little, it will help everybody, and you will probably feel better about yourselves.  Thank you, with a little effort you will make my Mother proud.