Normal and Real Fears, Concerns

    I was thinking of writing these down, discussing the needs or concerns a bit, in a list. Some of these are harder to resolve; some needs or worries may take our entire lives to address. Others are more immediate and present in the everyday. They all add up to the plates that we must spin to be successful, to do well in life, or to quell and conquer fears that may overtake us. The metaphor of plates spinning? Some are put in place for long periods of time, and we do not have to worry as much about pushing them. Others need constant application of time and concentration.

    1. Food, security, health. Millions of people in the world have to be concerned with hunger on a daily basis. Others, if whether they will be robbed or if some militant thug will terrorize or brutalize them. We live in an unfair world. Some countries and their citizens are victimized by their governments, either directly and overtly in their terrible ways, or by their lack of protection and ability to defend their populace. What about health? As I speak (spring 2025), hundreds or thousands, potentially millions of people in Zambia or other poor nations who are receiving medicine to fight their HIV are not getting it, and many of them are suffering and expected to die.

    This is mostly on Donald Trump, at present an elected official, and his special designee, Elon Musk. Rash, arbitrary, and in my opinion (and many others') reckless cuts and inhuman or immoral decisions to stop the life-giving aid to those who are dependent on it for survival. Atrocious. We have become the terrorists, the ones that we have defended the others from. In my opinion. My mom and dad helped sick and dying people as young folks in West Africa based on U.S. hopes of helping others. They were the good guys. Trump and Musk? Killers.  Scum and despots.

I fear people like them. People, embodied in governments or the lack of them, such as terrorists and criminals, who let others die, or purposely kill them. Those systems and folks can threaten all of the above. We have to be better.

2.  Money, career, stability, wealth, freedom to act, travel, recreate. All of these things, which can lead to social desires which will come next.

    Are we successful? Do we make enough money: do we do things that bring us honor, or pride, or contentment and respect? All these things add or subtract to how we see ourselves. Our self-concepts, self-esteem, respect, well-being. How we survive day to day, year to year, planning our 

3. Social wants and needs. Most of us crave having an intimate partner, and with them creating and maintaining a family. We come from families where we have either created or established relationships that last or do not. We try to keep those ties going, and we establish other friendships and the families grow through marriage and more children. Some of us want to have non-family ties that become significant. We either want those relations, or crave them. Neighbors, co-workers, church and other relationships. Clubs, and perhaps others. Perhaps basketball buddies, in my case.

 4. Embarrassment or shame of things that cause those feelings. Maybe it is our body or way of talking, or singing or dancing, or performing. Perhaps we are slow on social cues or jokes, or the "in" thing. We can be ridiculed for many things. Maybe there are things about us that are different that makes us stand out in an awkward way.

5. Accidents, dismemberment, death.

    Oh, yeah. All those things. Bad events and catastrophes. And the ultimate outcome: no more life. Permanent end of life.

6. Divorce and estrangement. These are normal fears. Sometimes they become real. I have seen drastic consequences from such things. But they include suicide and homicide.

7. Losing. Games, bets, propositions, stakes in ventures, sometimes with money and sometimes with our pride or ego.

8. What else do we fear? People have phobias, that is normal for most. Many of those are not normal or really rational. We fear boogey men, and random acts of violence, that do exist.

9. What else? The unknown. Sure. There are things out there that we fear. Normally and abnormally. We fear losing our minds, our memories, our sanity. Normalcy. We fear all these things, plus a few more fears and worries.

That is a good list for now. Quite comprehensive, I think.

    Discuss.