Ford's eyes popped halfway out of their sockets. "Who are these guys?" he said.
"Dunno," said Zaphod, "I think I preferred it when they were shooting."
"So are you going to come quietly," shouted one of the cops again, "or are you going to let us blast you out?"
"Which would you prefer?" shouted Ford.
A millisecond later the air about them started to fry again, as bolt after bolt of Kill-O-Zap hurled itself into the computer bank in front of them.
The fusillade continued for several seconds at unbearable intensity.
When it stopped, there were a few seconds of near-quietness as the echoes died away.
"You still there?" called one of the cops.
"Yes," they called back.
"We didn't enjoy doing that at all," shouted the other cop.
"We could tell," shouted Ford.
Life seems to throw things at you like a fusillade of Kill-O-Zap bolts sometimes. In my experience, I've have long periods of wonderful status quo followed by bolt after bolt of change and chaos and heartbreak. (Don't worry, I'm not launching into one of my posts that require large dosages of anti-depressants at the end. Keep reading.) I'm sure I'm not alone in this cycle of happiness/calm followed by upheaval/struggle followed by happiness/calm. That's sort of the way the universe works. For example, we had eight good years of steady, strong leadership in the United States, followed by three years of Trump. Yes, I went there.
If I met you today, and you told me that your life has been perfect forever, that you've never experienced a day of struggle and pain, I would call you a liar. We're all in the same boat here. At times, that boat is taking on water and you have to put on your life vest. Other times, that boat is anchored in a coral bay of white sand, and there's an open buffet on the lido deck. That's the way life works.
How you deal with the crises that come your way is what differentiates one person from the other. When the iceberg shows up, are you going to get in the lifeboat line, run around screaming, or sit and listen to the musicians play "Nearer My God to Thee" as the ship goes down? When the ocean is calm, temperatures warm, sky cloudless, are you going to count your blessings, look for a better ship with better parties, or stand lookout for icebergs on the horizon? It's all a matter of choice.
I can honestly say that, at times, I've done all of those things. I've sat in lifeboats, and I've stuffed myself at the buffet. I've run around screaming like Chicken Little, and I've counted my blessings. I've abandoned ship in the morning, and sat down and played "Nearer My God to Thee" in the evening. It all depends on the day, my state of mind, and the circumstances.
I don't think that it's healthy simply to go through life preparing for the next iceberg. Doing that ensures that you will never be happy. Your life will just be a series of Titanics. On the other hand, simply stuffing free crab cakes into your mouth and dancing to the Abba tribute band every day is not a good choice, either. Life isn't always a series of parties.
I am the result of hundreds of hours of therapy. I say that flippantly, but it is true. In my life, I have done my fair share of time on couches, talking to counselors and psychologists. It's what has kept me afloat in my life storms. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is this: one day at a time. It doesn't help to constantly rehash old pains and hurts, unless it's to understand present pains and hurts. And it doesn't help to worry about future pains and hurts, because they will overshadow your present life.
So, I take things one day at a time. I try to not worry about what's going to happen tomorrow, and I try to let go of yesterday. Now, I'm not saying that you should go out and spend all the money in your retirement account on that Corvette you've always dreamed of owning. No. That would be foolish. However, making yourself (and everybody else around you) miserable because, in five years, you may be diagnosed with some kind of expensively catastrophic illness is foolish, as well. You will never experience joy. Ever.
It's Saturday. I didn't have to rush off to work at 5 a.m. I haven't received any death threats from bill collectors. Nobody has kidnapped my kids. My wife is unwell, but she has medication that will, hopefully, help her to feel better. I'm on a diet that is making me feel better about myself. That is my list of today's joys.
Saint Marty hopes everyone has joy today in their lives.
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