In an American woman’s mind, a mall is just a place to shop without any concerns that there could be any possibilities of violence including shooting and bombing.  As I head to the entrance of the mall, I see a man wearing a white shirt and black pants.  He had a badge that appeared to be a typical security guard badge on his shirt.  He is bearing arms on his belt.  A woman in front of me unzips her purse and presents it to the security guard.  The security guard glances inside the purse.  Then it was my turn to be checked.

I have to say that I’m really impressed that the Israeli government puts a tremendous effort into ensuring that that their own country is as well secured as  can be due to some violence present in certain areas.  Seeing security guards presented in stores, parking garages, and malls really does leave people with peace of mind.

I would like to leave with a very important quote from a book, Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves:

“The very people who would benefit most from international travel – those who needlessly fear people and places they don’t understand – decide to stay home.  I believe the most powerful things an individual American can do to fight terrorism are to travel a lot, learn about the world, come home with a new perspective, and then work to help our country fit more comfortable and less fearfully into this planet.”

I agree with Rick Steves 100%.  Without any doubts, traveling is giving me a better understanding of life in other places outside of my own country.  I can’t live my life worrying about the “ifs.”  I have to enjoy my life.  Risks are going to happen both in my hometown and overseas.  Plus, as I mentioned in a previous entry, we can’t rely on the news media to gain a better understanding of the world.