Happily Oblivious

When I was a little girl, my Daddy worked "For the Government". He worked downtown in a big building, for a well known "acronym". Dad could never tell me what it is he did, where he went on his "business trips" and I only saw his office once.

That was fine. I was just happy to have a Daddy who loved me. I was also happy in my nice house in the nice suburb, attending the top-notch elementary school and eating all I wanted every day.

Later on, after he switched careers, I figured out his first job. Interesting, I thought. My cousins couldn't believe my dad worked for The Acronym, when the topic came up at a family meal. When discussing a current event, he mentioned being "out of the loop" and I laughed to myself. We both knew that at one point, he'd been in the loop.

He enjoyed his job and I'm sure he did quite a bit for our country. Go, Dad!

The show "24" is coming on, but I'm not interested. I am certain the United States faces horrible threats every day. All kinds of biological, chemical, crazy threats. I am certain we are under threat, every minute of every day. I don't know about any of them and I couldn't be happier about it.

I can't imagine anything worse than going through my days knowing of all the threats to our national security - I imagine those "fellows" don't get much sleep at all. How awful to know that something is "going down" and trying to stop it, knowing if you screw up, you'll have dead citizens on your conscience.

Sometimes the idiots do themselves in - I recall a case that happened near Houston, where some home-grown idiot wannabe terrorists blew themselves up trying to mix up a liquid explosive in their rented apartment. Fortunately, only the two involved were injured, both badly burned, one died. That's why we have the liquid restrictions on the airlines these days.

We (not just Americans) face all kinds of terrible threats every day. You never know if the guy coughing next to you at the grocery store has been infected with a superbug, or if you'll be the victim of a dirty bomb when you go downtown. Hell, there's always the disgrunted former employee with multiple guns and a grudge list, who wants to go out in a blaze of glory!

I could have lost my father to the last, but he was meeting with my therapist about my depression. Thanks, Lord. I've never questioned why I had my illness since I figured that out.

Some people obsess about what the government might be keeping from them. Well, I'm here to tell those in all those black ops programs: You're right. I am an American Citizen, and I don't want to know. Keep dealing with the issues, as you've been, quietly and efficiently.

I don't want to know that some whack job almost released a toxin, or a superbug. No, thank you. I want to live my days in happy oblivion, thinking I'm safe.

And if something gets past you, it's OK. I'm saved, I know where I'm going when I die and it's a lot better than anything here on Earth!

Thanks, for doing a great job. You make our lives better.