It’s been pretty tense around Toronto and the GTA, every time you turn on the local news station you hear about the next victim that’s stabbed, beaten or shot. We had a close one to home just recently, where an apartment complex 5 minutes down the road was taped off for attempted murder. I was none the wiser, already curled up at home and nodding off. The next morning it was still sealed off which naturally made me anxious, but I had to remind myself that it will be OK and everything will turn out fine.
It’s tough to see the bright side of the world when all you see around you is negativity and despair. I was talking to my father recently, and he wasn’t shy to let me know that he was nervous for my husband and I. I validated his concerns but I also had to remind him that we’re not the only city in Canada that has crime or a murder rate. In fact, I just looked it up, and Toronto isn’t even in the top 10 (I’m shocked).
I live just on the outskirts of Toronto, so I don’t feel as anxious, but the fact that I’m noticing more shootings and stabbings in my area is a little alarming. I also work in Toronto, too, so whenever I drive into work, I do get a ping of nervousness.
I’m not going to let fear dictate my life – I made that promise to myself a decade ago. I can hide from the world, I can move to a different city, I can even build a fallout shelter from the impending zombie war but what is that going to solve? It just gives power to those who are trying to instill fear inside of us, and I refuse to let that happen. Of course, still turn on the news, be informed – but don’t stop your life and don’t be afraid.
The Gray Space 