When I was leaving my local library the other day, there was a black package by one of the cars in the parking lot. As I made my way over to it those commercials with all of the hustle and bustle of people going in and out of the subways came into my head with the words “don’t assume it was left by accident. If you see something, say something.” I starred at the black package that was sort of shaped like a briefcase but clearly wasn’t for a about ten minutes before I just figured I had absolutely nothing to lose and went inside.

When I went back into the library, I told one of the guys that worked there how I wasn’t someone who makes a big deal out of these things and then proceeded to tell him about the commercial in a sort of joking manner. He thanked me and told me the police had already been notified. I was relieved because I am NOT someone who reacts so strongly to these kinds of things, nor do I want to live in a world where every little thing turns into a huge ordeal where the police need to be called and a bomb squad needs to be called in for no reason.

This situation really got me thinking about how much our culture and society are changing. I know it must seem from a lot of my posts like I am a scared little girl and an incredibly cautious person and in some ways, you would be correct in that assumption. But in most ways, that really couldn’t be farthur from the truth.

I don’t want to live in a world where we cannot enter schools without going through metal detectors. I don’t want our coffee shops and malls to be flooded with law enforcement. I don’t want to live in a world where we cannot step foot in a crowded concert or public arena without going through heavy duty security. I do recognize the unfortunate need for some of these things but I don’t want to live in this kind of world and I know that most people would prefer not to either.

I don’t want to live in this world that is so flooded with hatred.

I can feel our society and culture changing. I can feel me changing. My reaction to the small thing that happened the other day in the parking lot of my library was very different than how I would have reacted a year or two ago. And I honestly don’t like it. I understand it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.