Editor’s Voice

Posted

Let’s talk for a second about fear. Halloween is only a few weeks away, and as it gets closer, so many kids and kids-at-heart will be letting themselves get spooked out. Why? Maybe because they like the thrill of a good scare, or maybe because it’s a chance to remember that these scares are all make believe and things like witches, ghosts and vampires can’t actually hurt them. Either way, Halloween is a chance for us, consciously or unconsciously, to confront our fears and overcome them.

If only adult life were that easy. When we talk about adult fears, we’re not talking about imaginary monsters – we’re talking about tangible dangers that we have to face every day as an unfortunate part of living in the real world, be it school safety, natural disasters or even cancer.

If only I could say that these fears were as easy to face as the ones we did when we were kids. If only there were a silver bullet or wooden stake powerful enough to defeat the monsters of the real world.

But here’s the thing – these fears can be faced, and these monsters can be defeated. We know because we see Severna Park residents doing just that. Take a look at the front page of this edition. You’ll read about the school resource officers who strive to ensure every student is safe when they walk onto campus every day. You’ll read about what local residents are doing to help relieve the victims of Hurricane Florence. And finally, you’ll read about cancer survivors who come together to help themselves and others through the recovery process.

No, these stories can’t alleviate our fears altogether because we know that dangers still exist. They do, however, give us hope and inspire us. These stories are important because they show us the potential all of us have to make our community – and the world – a better place. It’s an idea we always come back to when we’re talking about the Voice: that we’re here to share good news, and that we even seek to find the upside to bad news. I think that during the Halloween season, when we’re encouraging youngsters to face their fears, this is an especially timely lesson for us to keep in mind. Yes, we as adults have the ability to defeat monsters.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of the paper. Remember that I always enjoy hearing from you, so if you have any thoughts or story ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at dylan@severnaparkvoice.com.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here