People living in our corner of the world have become much too used to detaching themselves from the turmoil and strife they see on television, thinking, "nothing like that will happen here, so I should not have to worry about it." These people are content to wallow in the petty troubles that plague them and disregard just how frail we all are.

Made up of soft tissues, human beings are naturally defenseless. Although we have created weapons and armor of sorts to protect ourselves, life is never a guarantee; that is a fact that many people seem to disregard.

Even October's sniper attacks have not roused people from their blind-to-danger states. For almost a month we had the awful chance to experience a part of what Palestinians, Israelis, Chechens and Indonesians, among many others, go through every day. For once, we felt the terror of an uncertain future. Many of us, myself included, realized just how important it is to disregard the inconsequential and worry about what actually matters in our lives.

However, this enlightened perception did not last. The snipers were eventually caught and the community began to relax into a cocky lethargy. Bit by bit, we have forgotten what it was like during those harrowing days, and we have reverted to the self-absorbed state that we started in. It seems that the whole experience has taught us nothing.

In today's world, weapons of mass destruction do not necessarily belong to the government. Any group of extremists with knowledge of explosives can create a bomb with enough destructive power to destroy the illusion of security that Americans wallow in.

In addition to that, the possible war with Iraq looms ominously over the heads of all Americans. What if the war does happen? What if history repeats itself, and young boys are sent off to die before they can legally drink?

And what happens when those who revel in the "glorious" thought of war are forced to come to terms with the real horror that it brings?

Instead of worrying about one sniper, what if we had to worry about planes dropping bombs in our neighborhoods, armies marching down our streets and terrorists and rebels invading our cities?

I am not saying that everyone should panic, build bomb shelters in their backyards and plan for nuclear war. Nor am I saying that we should become a nation of pessimists. The message I am trying to send is this: We must not allow ourselves to be absorbed by petty sorrows to the extent that we take our existence for granted.

We must be realists, and, most of all, we must be aware that we are lucky not to live in a hell-on-earth situation where survival is at risk. After all, the balance can shift at any time. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?