Run Away Reasons
Posted: Monday, January 05, 2009
by Jean Purcell
OpineBooks.com
The English language can be confusing to anyone learning English as a second language. Take, for example, run away or get away.
Running away can originate from an instinct to escape danger or a desire to avoid an unpleasant circumstance. It can signal a desire for safety or a desire to give up on something uncomfortable or challenging.
Getting away usually applies to situations like mine, where I am taking a week off in Florida. It's like an R&R the army gives, to recoup energy. I think most of us find this an easy choice to take when we can. So, let's take a closer look at running away.
So, Jack ran for his own safety to a country in Africa, where he met up with a friend operating a haven for endangered boys, a place where they could also go to school.
The boys were at risk of capture by a rogue military group. The group wanted to force them into their militia. They kidnapped boys as young as seven to train them to be killers. 24's theme of boys at risk by rogue militias mirrors true events in Sudan, Mozambique, Angola, and other parts of Africa, as well as some parts of Asia.
Jack and his friend realized the rogue militiamen were near the school compound, and they decided to run away to a safer place for the endangered boys. Just before all of them ran from the school, however, a weak UN representative was with them.
The UN rep decided to run away, but not with the good guys. Rather, he said he would go alone to try to get to the American embassy for help. He really hoped not to get in trouble with the rogue militia.
The UN rep was not running away only to survive. He was also running away to avoid the discomforts of doing the right thing. When the militia group stopped him on a road toward the capital, rather than refuse to tell where the children were or even to lie about their whereabouts to buy some time for their safety, he chose the easiest way out. He told where their school was, leading the militia right to it.
Fortunately, everyone had already run away. Ultimately, Jack's friend died while buying time for Jack and the boys to escape.
Fictional stories like 24 often present extreme choices that few of us have to make. Yet, our lives do involve extreme choices. Even if they are not life or death choices for others' safety, they often feel like life or death choices for ourselves.
Extreme choices usually involve the safety or well being of others and the best interests of others over our own safety or comfort. I'm not sure we can know in advance how we will react to every such test, especially new ones, unless we have made certain basic decisions in advance.
It is difficult not to run away from one job until we have found another job, unless we have decided to stick it out until we can find another employer.
It is difficult not to run away from family members with problems such as children with learning difficulties or illnesses, or older family members with special needs, unless we have decided within ourselves in advance what we will be faithful to do.
It is difficult for many people not to run away from a marriage that is turning out to be less than or different from what was expected or imagined, unless they decide in advance to honor the promises they made when they became husband or wife.
Even if we decide in advance how we will handle certain events that will be costly to our selfish desires, how do we know for sure that we will have the strength to do it? We know that extreme choices for the good of others rather than ourselves require courage and hope. How can we be sure that we will have them?
In her exceptional true story, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom wrote of Nazi troops questioning her family and arresting them. Her parents and sister died in prison or labor camps. Corrie survived due to what seemed a miracle.
Before that, however, Corrie knew there was a coming deluge of suffering. She knew that her family's help to Jews threatened by Hitler's regime would result in severe punishments or death. So she asked her father one day how she could be sure that God would give her the courage she would need.
Her father said, "Corrie, do you remember how you travel with Papa once a year by train?"
"Yes," Corrie answered.
"When does Papa give you the ticket so you really can get on the train and have a seat?"
"Papa, you give me my ticket just before we get on the train," Corrie replied.
"And that is how our heavenly Father does," he said. "He does not give us the strength and the courage before we need them. But He gives them at just the right time, when we need them."
It is interesting to me that 24 showed its hero running away for safety reasons only to find himself faced with decisions that involved running away with others at risk, thereby putting himself into danger again.
Art imitates life and life imitates art, it has been said. The most gripping stories show us something of real life, even if their fictional circumstances seem too extreme for what we know or will even face.
However, when it comes to running away, each person still has to answer the same question honestly: am I running away for myself or am I running to help save someone else's life and well being? If the answer is the latter, "I am running away to help someone else," then it means the person is not running alone. The person is running with others, trying to help them, even if it means sacrifice.
Which way do you and I decide to run 24/7?
hi jane,this was a well written, interesting, and unique article.in instances of depression, i think sometimes, we are running away from ourselves. the circumstances of the world are going to remain, figuring out a way to go with the flow is the hard part.we can't always change the world, however, we can change how we react to it.thanks for a great article,my best regards,sueHi, Sue,I agree. Handling our decisions and reactions is in our hands, although not always easy. I think depression also can be a signal of a need for seratonin balance in the brain, for which there is more help now than ever. I also believe that fear can lead to depression or hiding. Thanks so much for your comments!Blessings,Janehi jane,yes, i got that signal, and i do take medication with seratonin.have a good week,sueHi, Sue, I mentioned that because my doc is trying to help lower my BP and help anxiety that came w/higher blood pressure, by having me try a seratonin-balancer. (That's all in non-med terms. This is all new to me in the medical dept.) So far it seems to help. Blessings Jane
