Well it is that time of year again, ghosts and ghouls and long leggedy beasties will be roaming the streets soon, Halloween is upon us once again, but why do we like to be frightened once a year? Isn't daily life scary enough?
In our daily lives we must contend with people wearing masks, strangers popping out of the dark and fate waiting to pull us into a bad situation. The question in this case is why do we want to be scared on All Hallows Eve but not on every other day. Could it be that when we see a mask that looks scary we can perceive the danger as false and know we can control our fight or flight response? The same thing occurs when we watch a scary movie, visually we can see something harmful, but we know we won't be hurt by it, that it is a one dimensional character on the screen. Once the film is over and the lights come on we know we are safe from our own fears, just as we know when the trick or treater takes off his mask he is just a kid with a sweet tooth.
On the other hand, for the rest of the year we are faced with fears based in reality, fears for things we know we cannot control. It is more the behavior of others that threaten our well being and peace of mind. We are bombarded with negative news on a daily basis with things that keep us on edge, news that tells us about a bleak and scary future spinning violently out of control, that we need to fear that hooded man in the dark or that narcissist in political power. Is it really the news we are afraid of, or what we think might happen?
Just as our fears are controlled on Halloween, so our fears can be controlled on a daily basis. Sure bad things do happen, but there is no need to be afraid that they might or might not. If Halloween teaches us anything, it is that fear is a natural part of life, but it doesn't need to be a guiding force. We are in control of our fears even if we can't control the world around us. If you consider what the odds of being a victim are, you can equal the odds with winning the lottery, It has happened to other people, those other people were unaware of it going to happen, they were shocked when it did happen. Keep in mind what the news reports is about 1% of what is going on in the world on a daily basis, the good as well as the bad, but the focus is on the negative for sensationalism, it is not an accurate view of daily life.
So yes, we cannot control all the events around us, but our strength as a species is that we can control our reactions to it, being scared is okay, hiding from it is not. We were put on this world to experience it, the bitter with the sweet. Look to each day as a new adventure, not something to shy away from.
Have a Happy and Safe Halloween