One of our state’s treasures, a journalist much more intelligent than I and eons better at expressing ideas in words, wrote a piece this week about lingering stress and worry. Seems he’s bothered too.
It caused me to think of a bit I heard on NPR once. A
prominent scientist said that there is an archaic genetic trigger in our DNA
that serves a mysterious purpose. Its only function is to alert us, when we
feel safe, that there is still danger lurking about and we should remain aware.
We could call it the “you just think it’s all okay, Jocko”
trigger.
It instantly made sense to me. Complacent animals on the
savannah were probably the next ones eaten after the old, infirm, and devotees
of Fox news. A feeling of safety probably sent all sorts of inviting pheromones
to greedy lions, tigers, crocodiles, and primordial TV evangelists.
As they say in my home territory of LA, “Ain’t no sich thang
as being too careful when you walk in tall grass.” Best watch where you step.
And keep an eye on the clouds. Calm before the storm and all that. Black swan. Après moi,
le deluge.
They all trigger the sense of pervasive doom in the midst of
optimism.
I think I felt it the day after Barack Obama was elected for
the second time.
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