Anxiety Files

Terrorism is only terrifying to those people who haven't experienced it. I was recently speaking to one of my friends who lives in Israel, and from what he has told me about, I don't really classify what happens there as terrorism anymore. Terrorism is acts used to coerce people to act a certain way through terror. While anyone is fearful of an attack, the act itself, from what my friend tells me, doesn't inspire terror, it inspires action. There was just such an incident where a terrorist who had been working construction in Jerusalem took a bulldozer on a rampage. People did run away, but what ended it was an unarmed man taking a gun from a security guard, climbing on the bulldozer, reaching in the window and shooting him in the head. There were a number of other people climbing on the bulldozer as well to try to stop it. They weren't fleeing they were taking action.

I just moved to NYC not by choice. My husband took a job in Manhattan, so we picked up and left our comfortable life in MN. I take the subway to work everyday, and worry, A LOT. I know it's the only way to get to work, because I dont have tons of $ to spend on cabs. How do I get over it, it being the fear of something happening. Should I even be worried at all in the first place??? Does anyone suggest how to get over the fear of the NYC life, and it being a "target??""

Dear MyAn:
You mention that you have a fear of taking the subway in NYC. Specifically, what are you worried will happen? Also, what about the NYC "life" are you worried about? It sounds like you may be worried about terrorism and that the subway is a particularly vulnerable place to be. Is that correct? Other fears?
Bob Leahy