Steady on lads !

                “Steady as she goes, please”   

     Every day we see displays of short temper that are becoming more frequent. It might be an extended blast of a car horn, by someone who has to be somewhere ten minutes ago. Or, maybe it is someone who is just feeling plain porky that day, from all of the stress and wants to lay it off on someone. It is natural enough. The good Lord knows that there are enough stress-causing vectors at work around us these last few weeks.

       Sometimes though, the anger and venting can inadvertently be directed in the wrong direction. People who say “huh? Whaddidido?” will rarely get an answer, because the putative aggressor doesn’t fully understand their psychic discharge themselves. That too is a natural enough reaction to accumulating stress levels. People are frail creatures. When pressure build up inside of them, they vent it outwards. If some luckless soul is in the immediate vicinity of the blast, they catch the outburst full-force.

       I try to be aware of this whenever my own stress levels accumulate. Venting is okay, but not at the cost of injuring the psyche of another. The golden rule comes to mind. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is a reminder to us of a code of conduct that is fast vanishing from the civility of our collective behavior.

      In times of great stress, the Irish have always resorted to “gallows humor.” It is a way of coping with those adverse forces that you cannot possible change. No Gael alive ever wants to give the satisfaction of seeing the distress caused to them, by the rude son of a bitch who has just verbally lambasted you, merited or not.

     It made me think of my now most favored Irish toast:

       May those that love us, love us.

       And those who do not?

       May God turn their hearts.

       And if God can’t turn their hearts,

       May he turn their ankles,

       So that we will know the sons of bitches

       By their limping!

    We are all under a great deal of stress these days. Fear has a palpable aura, especially among the elderly. So, think first before you deliver a verbal broadside or horn warning to those around you. Would you want your own elderly parent or young child rudely assaulted because someone else was having a bad day? I think not. Even the densest of us has feelings and experiences the stress every bit as much as you do.

     This train of thought brought to mind another litany of self-protection. This particular one is from Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel “Dune.” Repeat it as often as needed to calm the anxious mind.

     “Fear (or stress) is the mind killer,

       The little brother of death.

       I will stand in its path,

       And it will flow around and through me.

       And in its wake, there will only be me.”

       This mantra may not sound like much, but I have whispered it like a yoga mantra on many occasions, most of them over 50,000 feet, and saw fear dissipate around me like the fog of self-delusion that it is.

      Whatever means of personal control it is that you employ, please drag it out for use in the months ahead. Everyone around you is uncertain, some visibly frightened, right now. They could use a smile if you can manage it, a whispered “Thank you” or “excuse me” will also help when you are holding a door open or assisting someone with any number of chores. Be the steady and calm featured rock for those whom you interact with. Everyone will bless you for the kind-hearted and considerate person that you are.

      And then, none of you will need to have God  twist an ankle J

                                          -30-

                                    (637 words)

                                 Joseph Xavier Martin