Meet Your New Neighbor, MR. FEAR RAEF!

On Sunday morning you’re awakened by the sound of a large truck. Groggily, you look out your window and see a huge moving van. The house next door has finally sold. You hope for a glimpse of your new neighbor, but all you see is a dark figure hurrying into the house. You watch as three crates (a huge safe, a 250-Gallon water tank, a Coleman stove, a generator, and some other miscellaneous boxes) are unloaded. How odd, you think. Still, you go about your day: breakfast with your wife, a matinee, and a fun visit with friends; your new neighbor forgotten.

After work on Monday, you notice that bars have been installed next door. You wonder why; it’s a safe enough neighborhood. Later that evening, a soft knock interrupts your favorite show. When you open the door, ‘lo and behold, it’s your new neighbor, wearing a surgical mask, and vinyl gloves. “Allow me to introduce myself,” he says, “Fear Raef.”

“Nice to meet you,” you say, a bit taken aback.

Mr. Raef notices the expression on your face and says, “To protect myself against the Norovirus. You should have one, too.”

Your eyes drop to his gloved hands.

“Germs,” he says, “they’re everywhere. One can’t be too careful.”

Trying to be hospitable, you ask if he wants to join you and your wife for dinner.

“Thank you, kindly, but no. E. Coli. I don’t eat anything I haven’t prepared myself. ”

After Mr. Raef leaves, you tell your wife about it. She shrugs is off, saying that there are a lot of weirdoes out there. While you’re eating, however, you start thinking about the E. Coli bacteria. You can hardly get the piece of meatloaf down your throat.

Over the next few weeks, you and Fear become close. Despite his oddities, he teaches you a lot. For example, you learn about all the conspiracies perpetrated by the government. In the evenings, you no longer watch your TV shows; instead you watch videos about hateful rhetoric, heavy polarization, people’s rights being restricted, mass shootings, global warming, mutated viruses, etc., and realize that Fear is right, the world is a scary and horrible place. You decide to follow Fear’s example, and buy several weapons, which you now store in your new gun safe. Your wife thinks it’s over the top, but you convince her it’s for her protection. The garage is no longer your “man cave.” Now it’s for storing emergency supplies, in case of an earthquake, or worse, an EMP that destroys life, as you know it. An alarm system is not far behind.

You rarely go out anymore. Why risk being exposed to pollution, germs, gang violence, mass murders, accidents, contaminated food, and a depleted ozone layer? Besides, Fear comes over every night. Your wife, though, is so unhappy that she’s filed for divorce, just like Fear warned you she would.

You now live in a prison of your own making, with Fear as your only friend, warning you of every possible thing that can go wrong. And there you sit.

Isn’t this what a lot of people do? They sit at home with their fears, listening to the Six O’clock News every night, reading the shocking headlines on their news feed, taking in the daily horror: wars, viruses, home invasions, contaminated food, etc. It’s all there for your causal viewing every day. This is no way to live. But what’s the solution, you ask?

Know that the horrible events are only a portion of life. There’s so much more out there to be experienced, to be enjoyed. Not everything that happens in life is terrible. There are many fantastic things occurring every day: people whose faces are reconstructed, animals being rescued, runners with prosthetics running marathons, talented singers and performers entertaining their audiences, new medications to help people live healthier and longer. There are gardens, museums; videos that make people laugh; kind strangers, friends, and above all, family.

Focus on that which inspires you, makes you happy, teaches you that people are generally good. Whatever your focus is on, expands. Keep your focus on the beauty, the goodness, and the joys that come from fully living your life.