June Blogger Challenge: Day 12 — Crowd

Concerts
Plays
Movies
Family gatherings
Picnics
Parks
Political rallies
Sporting events
. . .

Crowds frighten me.
You see, you have a group of people gathered together for a common purpose.
That's good, right?
Maybe not.

Think about the crowds that gathered to hear Hitler speak. All of them united in hate. Evil must of permeated that crowd.
Crowds can do anything . . . bad/good/indifferent.

Think about lynch mobs. People often don't stop and think when in a crowd. They just react. Emotionally. They feed into what the leader says to them, developing a herd mentality that often can not be stopped.

Crowds have always terrified me because these images come to mind.
What will the crowd do? Am I safe?


I often feel panicked when I'm in a crowd. The press of bodies, the stale air, the like-mindedness. The feeling that I can't escape.

I'm always looking for an exit.


However, crowds can gather together for good purposes, too.
One time I remember being in a crowd to hear Elton John perform. I love Elton John's music, and was thrilled to be able to go see him.
But I wasn't thrilled that I had to be surrounded by a mass of people. I wanted a small, personal concert...but that wasn't going to happen.
So, I went. And the one memory that remains with me is of a woman throwing her bra on stage, Elton John picking it up with a quizzical look on his face, and saying in that English accent: What do you expect me to do with this? Then he tossed it to a band member, the audience laughing.

But I still think, That laughter can turn...to???


I am working on overcoming my fear of crowds; realizing that a mass of people doesn't always equal evil or wrong-doing.

However, there is the phrase: crowd-mentality


Think about it.