Chill Out and Enjoy
A mildly amusing meme the other day said that the writer was going to launch inflatable dolls with helium during the eclipse to create the impression of rapture. It’s probably a good sign that some humor is being applied during this time of wackadoodle interpretations.
There were some positives I took from my Catholic upbringing. One was an appreciation of and respect for things that were beyond our understanding. The concept of mystery figues prominently in Catholicism. I’m curious about lots of things and, at the same time, I’m comfortable with things I don’t quite get.
Take the early days of the recent pandemic. Lots of unknown unknowns particularly at the outset. Some unknowns are still with us and will be for the future. But, for some, uncertainty is highly discomforting and formulating certainty around conclusions that are patently ridiculous feels easier. As is the case with financial markets, people find uncertainty to be more challenging than bad news. So sometimes there’s an inclination to relieve that distress by manufacturing unsupportable conclusions. That such errors rapidly gain broad traction today is, to understate it, exasperating. Though, this isn’t exactly a new development. A majority of Americans did not believe that Hitler committed suicide in his bunker in 1945.
Safely enjoy today’s eclipse. No need to worry about nonsensical add ons. It will be impressive enough by itself.