All this discussion of airport security leaves me thinking about security in general. Actually, if the scanners or pat-downs cause concern, one can always take the train, the bus, the car or shank's mare. And, the Congressional hearings on the foreclosure debacle drive home the fact that many Americans are feeling very insecure in their homes and their pocketbooks; their futures are too scary to even contemplate at this point.
Why is it then that I am feeling so secure. I believe my Social Security monthly benefit will slide into my checking account every month. My cozy condo carries no mortgage and my 401(k) is starting to mend. I look around my home at the things I have accrued through my adulthood, at my sweet little dog, at my kitchen with proper appliances and tools, at my closet full of clothes, at my paid for car, and think - how lucky I am. How secure I am.
And I'm secure in intangibles, too. My family, my friends, my neighborhood and community. Is it, could it be, unAmerican to feel so secure? Maybe not, but certainly out of step with many of my countrymen.
