Rolling the Risk Dice

When I “Google” the word risk, the search results overwhelmingly are the board game Risk.

Did you know there is a Risk app?  Yeah, me neither.

Dead last on the search page is a Merriam-Webster definition result that states, "possibility of loss or injury:  PERIL.”   (love the all caps here….)

Apparently, Google wants us to think risk is only a game, where results are determined by dice rolls and when you’re tired of playing, you just put it back in a box and walk away.

As a society we’ve gone to extreme measures to reduce risk, seatbelts, airbags, helmets, security cameras and so on, and so on, and so on, right down to the laughable warning labels.  OMG, if you climb this ladder, you may fall off and hurt yourself!  Who knew?? 

Now, walking on the safe side isn’t bad, it’s just common sense smart, but to me it seems like the more we live under the illusion of controlling risk, the smaller our common sense brain cells become.

There was a movie long ago, based on a true story, “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble,” starring John Travolta, about a young man that had to live in a germ-free bubble because he was born with severe immune deficiencies.  Without his bubble, or protective gear, he would die. 

In the movie the boy falls in love, and even though he'll likely die sooner than later, he decides to take the risk to be with his soul mate, leaves his bubble and rides off into the sunset to find her. 

Of course the movie is the romantic version.  The real life boy, David Vetter, died at the age of 12, after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant.

Such are the different outcomes when you choose to dance with risk.

I consider myself a moderate risk taker, which works out just as many times as it doesn't and I don't have any regrets.  I'm fully aware of the possible consequences, good and ugly, and willing to accept either.  If nothing else, it keeps my coping and problem-solving skills in tune, LOL.  

Which brings us to today's state of affairs.

None of us chose this pandemic, or the risks it's puking all over our "minimize the risks" world.

Coronavirus is rolling the dice in this game and no matter how tired we are of playing, there's no putting it back in the box and walking away.

Here's the good news.

While we're all in "time out" the Earth is rejoicing, like an abused child who's finally unchained, allowed to play and heal.  

An Easter Day resurrection as monumental as the traditional resurrection this day is focused upon.

Perhaps the Merriam-Webster definition of risk should be, "possibility of loss or injury:  PERIL ...OR NOT, depending on who's rolling the dice."