Privacy and Paranoia

My husband and I are private people so I have changed our names in this blog. However, I am undecided about this privacy thing. Having children increases your awareness to so many other risks and fears in the world, and this is largely attributed to the media coverage of abductions, abuses and other horrible crimes against children. Those people didn't expect it to happen to their children and they didn't deserve it either, so it too could have been me. Then, if a parent could do anything to assure that these things wont happen to their child they probably will; even though there is little foreseeable risk, it does happen and you just don't want it to be you. However, I understand that the incidence of child abductions has remained steady or decreased over the years - just reporting has increased. So, years ago when kids were able to and encouraged to go play outside and around their neighborhood the perceived risk was lower and the actual risk was higher than today! Many of us, my husband and I included have had things happen to us that forces us to lose our trust in people, especially when it comes to our kids. Are we suppose to hold onto that fear and extend it to the majority of the population, or are we suppose to let it go assuming the majority of people are good? In the end, I think we give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to our own welfare, but not for our kids. Maybe we'll have to find trust in a few certain situations and places in our life for example, one particular park, the school grounds, or church functions to allow our child the free spirited growth they should have.