The world’s a dangerous place

Watch out! Beware! Be frightened and scared—

The world’s a dangerous place.

The truth that you seek

Can be seen on TV,

So just turn it on and take a quick peek.

Whenever you need to confirm your beliefs,

The news will provide without pause or brief.

If only we could return to a day,

When our kids were safe to go out and play.

But as my grandpa always said,

“The good ol’ days are gone.”

The good ol’ days were: 

A time when war ravaged the lands,

A time when people got put into camps.

A time when children could die from the plague,

A time when a scratch could take off your leg.

A time when food and shelter were scarce,

A time when life seemed left up to chance.

The world’s not dangerous—

It’s the safest it’s ever been.

Far from perfect, yes, but we are lucky to live

In a time when danger hasn’t increased—

Paranoia has.

Perhaps if we valued truth over drama,

Then the fear mongering would end.

But clicks and views are currency,

And nothing pays like the obscene.

The only thing that spreads faster than disease

Is bad news.

One day, I hope we’ll remember:

Most people are good.

And the news will have nothing to report.

Since we get what we focus on, 

we’ll water the seeds of kindness 

instead of the weeds of despair.

I’ve walked the world, through its heart and its harm,

And people often ask, “Did you ever feel unsafe?”

Perhaps I didn’t know the world was so bad—

Because I’ve been living in it 

instead of watching it from a screen.