No, I Won't Be Safe

   Be safe.
   Some people tag on those words during goodbyes. They'll shake a hand or give a hug, then say, "Be safe."
   I loathe that expression. It symbolizes a growing aversion to risk taking. Nobody uttered that phrase when I was a boy. When did it creep into our vernacular?
   Some people still have gusto. Last week a family went skating during a warm spell. They had the pond to themselves. Everybody else was afraid of thin ice. Turns out, most of the pond was solid enough. And besides, the pond was shallow. An adult cracking through would sink to his knees.
   That family took a calculated risk. A girl learned how to skate.
   Be safe means be boring.