Playing the Odds: Is This How we All Live Our Lives?

Last week, Moore, OK, was nearly completely devastated by a F5 tornado.  Within hours, critical comments began filtering into the news reporting, with the all-too-frequent, "Some are saying..." statements about how they should have had safety shelters.   The mayor was asked why the schools had none. His reply was that, on any given Spring day, there was only a 1-2% chance that Moore would be hit by a tornado.  Moore played the odds and lost.  

That got me to thinking.  How many of us live our lives playing the odds, too?  I'm not necessarily talking about odds concerning how much money we are willing to pay for our safety, whether it's how we protect our beaches and homes against hurricanes or how much we're willing to pay extra in taxes so we don't end up crashing into the rivers below the hundreds/thousands of decaying overpasses and bridges all over this country.  No, I'm speaking about the everyday choices we make and how we come to those decisions.  What facts do we acknowledge and what facts do we ignore?  Do we make fear-based decisions or do me make fact/logic based decisions?  Do we base our choices on the present, only, or do we base them on the possible long term consequences they may bring?  Whether we acknowledge it or not, these everyday choices are based on odds:

How long can we eat the less expensive, conventionally grown food before the chemicals harm us?
How long can we drink unfiltered water before the heavy metals and other poisons sicken us?
How long can we eat conventionally raised meat before we are struck by the next bacterial outbreak?
How much junk/processed food can be ingested before we, or our children, are diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease?
How many years can we take medications before the side effects cause more problems than they supposedly help?
How long do we endure the pain before we decide to do something other than take pain killers?
How long do we ignore the anguish of others before their sadness turns into rage that is turned against us or our children?

The choices are never ending.  Before we turn a critical eye outward, perhaps it would be more helpful if we hold ourselves more accountable.  Are we willing to try?

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