What's Love Got to Do With It

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Last night, I was laying in bed struggling with my thrice-damned insomnia, and I was thinking about the Federal Witness Protection Program,* and the types of people who are constitutionally capable of entering it.

I suppose if your life sucks big wienies, entering WitSec might be a blessing. Given the opportunity to start over, I mean really start over, with a complete break from your former life, I expect there might be people out there that would look at such a chance with eagerness. An opportunity that would allow you do so with a clear conscience don't come along very often, I wouldn't think.

But what about those who, through random chance, might be included in this program and have no desire to leave their old life behind? I would think the choice to abandon your entire life - your family, your history, your friends, your profession - would be a devastating one, and in my insomniac state, I was trying to determine under what circumstances I would do so.

The conclusion I came to had everything to do with love. If I was forced into a position where I was offered witness protection due to witnessing some horrific crime, my decision to enter the program would have everything to do with the safety of my family, and nothing to do with my own personal safety. If, by remaining in my current life, the only life I put in danger was my own, I'd take my chances. Abandoning my family, my friends, my life, would not be worth it. But if remaining in my current life put those I loved in danger, then I'd be out of here so fast my own head would swim. I suspect that such a decision would doom me to a very lonely life, with no contact with those who give my life meaning, but it would sure beat putting them in danger for the sake of my own happiness.

Love is a behavior, not an emotion. I love my life, but I love my family and friends more.


*We watch In Plain Sight, which is what motivated this. Yes, I do think about weird shit while I'm laying awake at night. Shut up.

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One of my friends over on Facebook indicated that if he had to enter the Witness Protection Program, he'd "make them turn me into a fry cook, or a rocket scientist." That made me chuckle (he's an SE, like me). It also got me to thinking - if I had to enter WitSec, what profession would I choose? I think I'd like to go to nursing school.

8 comments:

Juan Federico said...

That, Janiece, is the coolest, most lucid thing you've posted for a while. Thank you.

PS Boogie Blogs not included. Those are better than the Sunday Comics and I read'em every week. :)

Janiece said...

Lucid is as lucid does, germ-boy. :-)

So what would your WitSec profession be?

Matt said...

Well, there's the obvious choice of being a bra fitter at Victoria's Secret, or maybe a golf pro.

mom in northern said...

Ask Beki about starting over...

Janiece said...

Mom, that's not really the same. I think starting over with a loving family that you don't remember due to brain injury has a different set of problems and challenges than leaving your whole life behind - but you remember every detail, and still love it.

Juan Federico said...

i'd have them open me up a used bookstore. Or a saloon

Anne C. said...

I agree with Juan, I wouldn't mind owning a bookstore or being a librarian (the kind that doesn't talk to people).

Karl said...

Love is a behavior, not an emotion. How did I miss this post - been saying this for years! I'm not nuts! ha!

Bookstore. Or a billiard parlor.