caution: life is dangerous. get over it.

Caution: Walking on the sidewalk could result in tripping and skinned knees.

Caution:  Holding an exuberant toddler close can lead to unexpected head-butting.

Caution:  Getting out of bed could be hazardous for your health.  

Caution:  Staying in bed could be even more hazardous for your health.


When we entered a local park the other day for a walk around the lake, we were met with the sign shown above.  I've never seen this sign here before, but I'm not sure when it was put in place, and we saw identical signs at other entrances to the lake path, too.  Both hubby and I saw the first sign and immediately wondered, "Alright, who tried to sue the city?"

Because that's what caution signs mean to me- "Hey, we warned you, so you cannot try to get a bazillion dollars for either something you should have known better about or something that is essentially out of anyone's control."  Warning notes on coffee cups about the hot beverage inside are asinine, in my opinion.  If you didn't know that the coffee you just paid for with your hard earned money was going to be hot, then you have no right to be drinking it, fool. 

This sign, though, rankled me.  I guess it's the use of the word possible.  Aren't falling limbs always possible when you're walking in a forested area?  It's also possible for acorns to drop on your head, or birds to do their business right above you, or for squirrels to fall out of the trees and plop onto the ground in the exact spot you were just standing two seconds before.  (Seriously.  One of these events actually happened to me at this very park.  Can you guess?)  Do we have to employ the use of signs to warn us of all the potential harm that just might await us when we go out into the world?  Can you imagine such a world?

I don't know- am I maybe looking at this the wrong way?  I have to say that I have appreciated the occasional sign that warns of the unexpected- a "caution: step" sign can be quite handy in a place that doesn't obviously appear to have a step.  (Okay, you pegged me.  I'm a klutz.)  So maybe this sign is more indicative of that type of situation?  Have we had any significant storms that have put the trees in potentially perilous conditions?  Hmmmm... then shouldn't it be actually checked out instead of solving the possible problem with a warning sign?

While I tend to question myself on most decisions and opinions I form, I think I'm sticking with my gut reaction to this sign, and that's one of scoffing.  If a limb is going to fall on me, that would be tragic, but if the park is seriously unsafe, simply close it down.  Otherwise, I would think that any reasonable person could assess that risks and dangers and boo-boos (oh my!) could await them in all sorts of situations.  The likelihoods of those occurrences are usually slim, otherwise we would certainly know a whole lot more people with crazy injury stories, right?

We take a risk every morning by simply waking up.  Trust me, I understand this.  I feel a certain duality in my perspective, one that comes from living with both anxiety and snark.  Things make me nervous, often, but then I also try to make fun of myself and my fears, or else I would go absolutely crazy.  There are certain risks that I try to avoid, and others that I make sure we always take measures to protect against, but those are the things that have the most likelihood of actually hurting us.  Seatbelts, car seats and bicycle helmets are our friends.

But really?  Life is dangerous.  Life isn't forever, and accidents happen.  But that's the thing about a true accident- there's no real prevention, it's just something that happens.  So let's chill with the signs, huh?  Or else, I'm going to have to go around labeling the crap out of the world.


Throwing caution to the wind,