We’ve met the hero – and he is us

We tend to suffer from normalcy bias. In other words, how things were, they will always be. Sure, there are crises around the world. Iran can, and likely will, retaliate, with unknown consequences for the region and the world. Vladimir Putin likely won’t stop his denazification, whatever the hell that means, operation on Ukraine.

We tend to think there are some shadowy forces that will make things right again, just as we tend to think there’s a global cabal controlling our lives and plotting to put as all in a global gulag.

Surely, the CIA, the Mossad and other major intelligence agencies are working behind the scenes to rein in Russia, Iran, North Korea and even China? Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know. We have mind maps of how things are but it’s not how things are, it’s how we are. We want to be free and independent, yet we are desperate to believe some superhero spy is working on keeping the world from falling apart by making the bad guys squirm. Alas, it doesn’t work that way.

It’s time to face the obvious: sometimes, things go terribly wrong. Sometimes, be it by design, inaction or miscalculation, things  spiral out of control and no shadowy intelligence agency with super-duper profilers who can tell who you are after thirty seconds can change it. I don’t know if destiny is real or not but, who knows, maybe when your time is up, your time’s up. I remember reading about shooting survivors in North America who weren’t so lucky in the next shooting. What are the chances? Sure, some of you are rolling their eyes right now and waving your hands. Coincidence. Maybe. Maybe not. Too many coincidences for my taste. Seems to me that, when the Grim Reaper comes knocking, nothing can stop it.

We all have an image of the world and of our place in it. Depending on who you are, that image is going to vary vastly from my experiences and my image. Maybe there’s going to be room for dialogue; maybe the twain shall never meet.

It’s the same with how we view people. We often forget people change and meeting someone ten years later may mean you’re looking at a different person. Not all of us can accept that people change and people move on. How many of you are stuck in a cult-like social circle that doesn’t tolerate change? Cults aren’t just doomsday cults. Family, friends, acquaintances – these can be cult-like structures, too, using guilt-tripping, gaslighting and so many other methods to keep us in line. The key is to be aware of it. Sadly, many people aren’t aware of how they are being used and abused.

It makes me wonder: how psychologically changed, are Israeli hostages going to be, when/if they are going to be released? Will they have that traumatic bond with their captors or is the whole Stockholm Syndrome just a myth?

It’s time to stop fooling ourselves that someone, somewhere has all the answers and can stop all the calamities from happening. Yes, the world can go to hell. The survivors of October 7 Massacre know it way better than I do. But it’s no reason to panic or despair. Quite the contrary. If you believe in God, what’s there to fear? You’ll be on your way to infinity. Just make sure you leave something of value behind. Intellectual, financial, whatever you want. Something that proves you were here, on this Earth, not just a shadow and a passenger, but an active participant in the grand game of life.

So no.

No heroes are coming. No aliens are coming. Messiah isn’t coming.

We’ve met the hero – and he is us.