Stressful Times

I've had a rich and complex life, and if this were to be the end of it, I would still be happy. As I sit here watching the plague across the earth, I realise it probably isn't yet the end. Things can always get worse, things can always get better. People can always get worse, people can always get better.

Sometimes, I realise that a life in F&SF has allowed me to roll with life's stormy weather without getting seasick. Sometimes, I realise that being anchored to the Rock has meant that I've not rolled too much. I am almost always in a state of contemplation. I am almost always in a state of active reflection. I realise that, along with everyone else, I am many things and yet one. I realise that not everyone realises this.

Sometimes I realise that I am remembering odd things. I woke up today remembering this:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Some of you will immediately recognize this. It is the Bene Gesserit 'Litany Against Fear', from Frank Herbert's Dune. In Latin, bene gesserit means 'to carry oneself well', or 'to bear one's responsibilities well'. It implies good conduct within the framework of a regulated world.

I am reminded that St Paul, in his various epistles, enjoyed quoting from pagan sources. I suspect that one of his flaws was the need to show off his scholarly erudition. It shows in his liberal employment of rhetoric and arcane quotations.

I realise that during times of stress, I can hear the laughter of God. He sometimes says, "Just remember, you must take Me seriously, and yourself not so much."