I couldn't help but remember how two years ago, during our previous trip to Israel, a bombing occured just days after we were there, on the very spot we had found our last item. It doesn't stop me from going, but I understand how it enters people's minds. We know in our heads that putting money into earthquake preparedness is much more rational than having swat team preparedness drills, but we want so badly to control events and our fears. The seeming out of the blueness of last year's violent acts, is one of their most frightening aspects. Even the fuss about Y2K, could be understood, as a way to take fears about the future, global warming, nuclear proliferation, international instability, and convert them into an enemy that we can control.
Chance plays a role in our lives, in a way that is sometimes very threatening.
We want to protect ourselves from those things we view as dangers. My brother is a lawyer who works on international trade. The best I can understand, his job is to tighten up contracts to minimize risk for the company. Similarly, my brother is constantly thinking of what ifs and writing them into the contracts his company enters into. This style of thinking also spills over into his personal life.