The Mercy Corps Blog

Blog Post Posted May 27, 2009, 12:21 pm by Roger Burks

Life in the panic zone

Moving to a new house is one of the most stressful events for families in the developed world. Later this week, I will be moving my family to another city for my son’s schooling. Right now, we’re in the thick of packing our household belongings; tomorrow, the moving truck arrives.

Even typing this puts me into somewhat of panic mode. There’s so much left to do. I worry if I’ve miscalculated how much we have compared to the size of the moving truck.

But, generally, the rest of my life falls safely into the comfort zone — the small, comfortable innermost circle on the illustration here. I have plenty to eat and clean water to drink. I have a job and a safe place to live. I don’t fear that my life will be taken on a whim.

And occasionally, I can cross into the learning zone, pushing my mind and body to do new things — to learn, to grow.

But millions of people around the world rarely stray into the learning zone. And they’re seemingly hundreds of miles from the comfort zone, with harm all around them. They live nearly every minute of their lives in panic mode, where no learning occurs except learning how to fear.

Odette fled a rebel onslaught in Congo. She now lives in a classroom with six of her children, several other displaced families and the memory of her slain husband and son. She doesn’t know where her next meal is coming from. She has no idea of when she’ll be able to return to her village — or even if she wants to return there.

Stress and panic enter most of our lives from time to time, but then dissipate. Those things never leave Odette’s life. They threaten her constantly.

So even though this is all very stressful for my family and me, at least we have the freedom and wherewithal to move. We know that it will all be over in just a few days.