Fear

"Fear is the mind killer." Frank Herbert, Dune
I am like my Dad in that I am a people watcher. He told me that he went to the horse races for 3 reasons. One, to watch the horses and two, to watch the people. It is fascinating. Just be subtle. It is rude to stare.
I have been traveling around a bit of late. Too much, really, but that is another story for another time. I have noticed a vast change in my fellow Americans. People are scared to death. Few seem willing to just open up and be alive. Folks seem closed in and shut off. You can see it in their eyes and in their ,mannerisms. Tension, a rigid nervous smile, an embarrassment when they actually laugh. Many no longer answer when you say hello and strangers will not meet your eyes when you smile and nod at them in the streets. Even among those you know, there is a reluctance to talk about anything of any substance.
In masses, people will rant and rave in the midst of useless demonstrations, but, one on one, they will duck disagreements. If you differ, they nod and grunt  and quickly change the subject, or just move away. Trust me, this is not the way we used to be. You know, back when America really was great.
Why so timid? Why so afraid of difference? Why so willing to freeze up except in large groups engaged in mindless, irrational acts of fury?
The answer is, for once, simple. Fear. We are in a period of rapid change. This has been the case for about 60 year. In my time, we have gone from a time when TV was almost a novelty to all the wonders, and horrors, of the internet. We have seen the collapse pf vast empires like the Soviet Union and the rise of people who not long ago were desert nomads to a to a terrifying World power that fights a warfare that has no battles, just hit and run attacks. We have cone from an era of sexual limits to an era where folks think you can di what you want without consequences. In medicine, we went from prosthetics that were mostly cosmetic to finely tuned instruments that can function as well, or sometimes better, than our natural parts. We went to the Moon and are actively exploring the linits of the Solar System
. I could go on and on,  but you get the point.
Change is the only constant, but we have never seen change at this rate. Some of these changes are good, some bad, and, as always, most are in the grey zone. Humans are always nervous about change. This is foolish, but that insecurity is real. Most just don't deal well with it. Now, the change is so fast, that many cannot cope. Why do you think we have so many psychoactive drugs being handed out by doctors and so many illegal opiates being consumed. We are scared to death, and that leads back to the opening quote. Fear is the mind killer.
Humans must learn to accept change at any pace. Just realize that everything is always changing every second and that what you are seeing now is the same thing at a much larger and faster scale. To fear, to withdraw is a horrible strategy. Do not be overwhelmed. Accept what you think is right, reject the rest and then stand up, proud and brave and fearless and get on with things. Like the old Little Feat song, roll with it.
This is not that hard to do. Trust that your Creator will catch you when you fall and help you in every way. To those who do not believe in our Creator, you have a problem. The strength and support God will give you is unfathomable. Without it, you are a puny animal. With it, you are a noble, conscious being. Unbelievers, you may want to reconsider that. Remember, the first thing that angels say when, in the Bible, they contact people,e is Fear Not. Heed those words and have a grand and Blessed day.