Three’s a Crowd

Day 3

We lay our weight upon the destination. And though we know from past experience that a tiny adjustments can point us to a vastly different horizon we still make that leap of doubt. The sight of the dog anxiously awaiting the arrival of its meal when it never missed one before, makes us smile. The panic buyers emptying shelves for supplies that are only short because of their actions makes us angry. How often do we reflect on our own anxiety when the routine of life is disrupted or threatened? Most of us would survive a week without food with no lasting consequences though the discomfort of those hunger pains would distress us.

The instinct for self preservation can be both positive and negative — quite negative when it compels us to act without consideration for others — nevertheless it stirs us into action or, at least, alertness. That alertness being primal, it can take time to reach equilibrium where we can begin to tackle each problem calmly and systematically. The end of the world might well be nigh should the trajectory you envisage be reality and sometimes that serves as a wake up call. But we tend to be quack prophets which is a comfort.

I have my own issues (as do we all) and COVID-19 has made them more complicated and more difficult to deal with, not least because its hard to concentrate when we appear to be going to hell in a handcart. Continually dwelling on the worst leaves no room for optimism and, more importantly, hope. But everything seems to have stopped and that only contributes to the feeling of panic…