(0203) It’s all in our attitude towards events, people, things.

 

One reason to run this first item as a standalone is to avoid that situation of WP creating its own list, independent of my own through the day. In fact, truth is … it’s probably the only reason.

The logical time to run an introspective “sermon” is middle of the night … cold outside and in, black as pitch out there, plenty of food here still … for how long? Perfect atmosphere to get into the chilling topics … such as age.

a. Don’t dabble

Good advice to the head of, and staff of, skynet in Terminator 3, also advice a young man in Russia gave me about portals and hexes people put on someone, also HAL 9000 in Space Odyssey, also avoiding obelisks and 3D geometric shapes, plus numerology, astrology, cards, the Mummy, etc. etc.

Part of this is not to name. Works in reverse if praying for someone’s recovery but as the young man said to me … naming opens a portal, chanting is worse … avoid all of it, keep things general, stick to known paths, as Trump lawyer Davis advised someone after Trump’s election.

What brought all this on? Well I awoke just now, thought of this and that, dropped into my routine, third or fourth was to check the email box, there was one of these Bored Panda collection of freaky fotos, I was silly enough to look, many of them were just before someone’s death … clicked out after a dozen of those.

One was the Columbia University massacre … no thanks, none of that sort of thing … call me an increasing fuddy-duddy, Mr. Morality, an aspiring saint, but there are things that the ole instinct says don’t go near. It possibly kept me alive in Russia … what’s it going to do in Llama-Harmer land? Seems to me we’d do well to stay a bit like a droll, cynical Lee Anderson (Reform).

Rid yourself of anything naughty, vile, untoward, have nothing on file anwhere, not on hard drive, not on stick etc. Anything subsequently found … someone put it there, not you, guv.

b. Stick to carefully worked out routines, become a creature of habit. One of those habits is to be unpredictable, to have a plan b, a plan c, an escape route at all times. Today, being caught in a confined space … a supermart, a square, a mall, an auditorium with others … I’d not have given it a second thought years ago … in the light of today’s nutters though, from deep state to govt to the judiciary … to just other people, esp. the young … best not. Work on 270 degree vision, vertically as well as horizontally.

Plan, for goodness sake. That silly man burning that book … at least work out the plan … have three mates with cudgels placed a short distance away in a car, in a booth, whatever. One angry old man near an embassy? Insane.

c. Take care of the diet, liquid and exercise … make it routine. Don’t drop that for any reason. Next to godliness and cleanliness, take care of house and self, if only not to become obnoxious … people are more inclined to talk to you, even to help.

d. Keep a sense of humour but not a weird one, nothing sicko, which only freaks others out. Might be funny to you … it certainly ain’t to anyone else. Humour, even cynical humour, e.g. memes, break the diet of daily horrors, take the mind off … within limits, to a point.

Reason is it’s your network which will be your only real chance in a crunch situation … not possible if you’ve no friends. Keep options open … sigma was for another past era … now you need your network. Unherdables is one part of that if you want, but not the only. Options open, remember.

e. Stay rational, not weird, be dependable (routines), be there to help … I like how Donny is keeping the friendly face going … he may need any one of those friendly faces one day. There’s a time to be firm, even summary … but mostly it’s best to just be even tempered, slight cynicism perhaps.

Part of it is to develop a charitable side if possible … choose your charity or -ies.

f. Keep away from entanglements, esp. the younger ladies, young people in general … for a start, you’re not going to keep up, plus they have no intention of being your nursemaid. Once that part’s through your skull, once that part of your quietus is sorted … the rest becomes easier. Last night, there were two twins, plus one narrowboat gal … stay friendly like a rock but that’s it … there’s no percentage doing more.

g. I was going to do a separate post, already have mentioned this but have you seen the ski poles every skiier uses? You never lean on them, they’re just reference points, right? Like a hiking pole but not for leaning on. I’ve already written about travelling, walking, moving through narrower spaces, assuming you’ll fall over.

In fact, I use doorposts to bounce off as part of the locomotion … even your legs uses low sideboards, drawers to keep you upright. I have a walking stick with rubberised ends, had it for decades, don’t need it for support but it acts a bit like those ski poles … uncanny how just having it gives balance … I’ll push a window ajar, touch the floor wi’it, hang it back in its place in the hall … I’m thinking it’s not much as a weapon … I can think of better weapons such as sword in a walking stick … but I already have a bo stick for defence.

h. The increasing Alzheimers. Look, you’re going to be one lucky chappy or lassie if you don’t go at least a bit gaga, troppo as you approach the final analysis. All the above most certainly help, they keep you active, busy, thinking, never time to feel sorry for yourself or regret … what’s the point of wallowing in that? Regret past actions of your own, things you said … but then shut them out … they can only stop your ability to be effective for others. That’s the mindset, even if they’re aren’t others.

This is why all the above points, combined, are important … I’m sure you could add others … but one MMutR and I discussed … vigilant calmness, air of assurance, which that book burner most certainly did not have … he was open to being stabbed, he invited it. Be nimble on the feet but also stand still, calm, awaiting, judging when to switch to attack … for goodness sake ditch the bewildered and vulnerable these days … it buys nothing with nutters.

Never put yourself in a position alone, outside your citadels. If your routines involve that, then change the routines … those of faith in a triune God have an excellent weapon there but it also helps to help yourself.

You will eventually die, no choice, maybe even part gaga … but until then, do all those things above and your chances increase. END OF at 03:33, a good time to stop.