Safety and Boundaries

You’re lovely, the way you look today; and why not?  It’s life, your life, meant to be lived in unfettered display of color. It’s Wednesday. Two days until Raven 24, another opportunity to live the life we covet, if only for a thin slice of time.  But how we’ll live it with friends near and far concentrated in one place!  I know; you live the life everyday.  That’s good.  But like anything worth having, ratcheting up the enjoyment and sharing thoughts, feelings and emotions freely and openly without fear of reprisals is the safe harbor.

Safety is the watchword for today.  A very dear friend mentioned this in conversation recently.  The thought lingered; unusual in my stream of consciousness world.  A signal to write a post; why not!

We watch the drama (yesterday’s post) unfold over protections, individual rights and other boundary issues. Boundaries have their place – meant to define territory, establish governance, provide support and infrastructure.  What happens when we test the boundaries?  Do you feel angst, anxiety, trepidation or bravado?  What do those feelings mean?  Do they cause you to shrink from undertaking your expedition into the unknown, leaving the safety of the known and trusted?

Defense mechanisms awaken refusing to be ignored.  Heed the flashing yellow.  If you are traveling into uncharted areas you should be cautious.  Traveling alone may not be the best way to explore. 

Some of us are veterans of lone wolf explorations.  You of extensive experience may be dismissing the concern.  Share your experiences including places that you’ve found safe if not also welcoming.  Daylight hours offer less risk (notwithstanding the reputation of the area) compared to evening.  Clientele differs as well.  I’ve felt less anxious shopping during the day, less comfortable in the evening hours.  Call me chicken, but I have all my feathers.

Bottom line is individual rights will trump collective rights or the rights of unconventional groups.  Extreme left and extreme right have their opinions.  Everyone’s entitled to them.  The risk escalates when opinions are expressed in uncivilized ways.  Becoming a pawn in that game won’t improve your chances to enjoy yourself unless you enjoy confrontation and are fearless.  These extremes simmer and sometimes lay dormant for day, months or years.  When they awaken, heat up and approach boiling point anyone outside the range of acceptability will become a catalyst for polarization.  That’s when reaction becomes unpredictable.  The caution flag should be waving rapidly and furiously.  You’d be wise not to ignore the alarm bells.  Intuition is not only your friend it’s your early warning system.

Nobody should suffer the fate of martyrdom.  The thought may sound romantic but the pain; physical and emotional along with the scars are not worth making a point when the odds are against you.

Remember that laws are meant to assuage constituents.  They are not necessarily intended to be enforced.  Enforcement is the realm the criminal justice system, not the legislative bodies.  Laws can be guides but should never be considered absolute protection.

So come out to places tested and proven safe and accepting.  Travel with friends – safety in numbers.  Adjust the volume and sensitivity of your intuition and don’t ignore.  Utilizing intuition is a learned skill.  Now would be a good day to begin.

Have a safe and wonderfully gratifying day.

Love and hugs, Nikki DeCaro