Atalantë

One day last week, October 7^th to be precise, yet another religious community announced that we’d better enjoy our five o’clock tea a bit earlier than normally since the day’s schedule also includes the end of our world. Despite the undeniable authority of the prophets the universe didn’t cease to exist (assuming I’d notice if it did – I wouldn’t encourage anyone to count on my level of attentiveness). Here we are and the world passes on. Tellus’ next planned best before -date (or one of them; this topic seems to have an exceptional tendency to produce prophecies) is supposed to be 2020. Let’s see what happens then.

Right now my attitude and mood are quite suitable for welcoming the apocalypse but since it got cancelled I must find some other entertainment. The themes of apocalypse and eschatology still seem very appealing so I’m watching Comet in Moominland. I’m rather fond of the film though I love Jansson’s novels and short stories more than the adaptations. Well, both books and films will do as long as the Muskrat is included. His words are the ones I need right now. What I’m planning to do is to curl up on the sofa, drink lots of coffee and listen to Muskrat preaching about doomsday.

A couple of quotes concerning the end of the world or destruction of cultures in general (there might be mistakes in the Swedish one taken from the film Kometen kommer; I’m not sure if I managed to catch the right form of all words):

”Och då kan ni förstå hur lite det betyder om jorden drabbas av en katastrof eller inte.”
”Nej, hör nu kära Bisamråttan, de där andra solsystemen bryr vi oss faktiskt inte alls om.”
”Så där säger en som aldrig har studerat filosofi och som dessutom tror att han betyder någongting.”

– Kometen kommer: Moominpappa and Muskrat on the arriving comet.

'Yes,' said Faramir, 'of the land of Westernesse that foundered, and of the great dark wave climbing over the green lands and above the hills, and coming on, darkness unescapable. I often dream of it.'
'Then you think that the Darkness is coming?' said Éowyn. 'Darkness Unescapable?' And suddenly she drew close to him.
 'No,' said Faramir, looking into her face. 'It was but a picture in the mind. I do not know what is happening. The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay; and all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny. Éowyn, Éowyn, White Lady of Rohan, in this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure!'

– The Lord of the Rings; The Steward and the King (Faramir and Éowyn on the fall of Númenor)

This is probably one of my favourite Tolkien-quotes of all time. I don’t quite know why; it just happens to fascinate me.

Spamming my face here for no good reason. Just trying

to adapt to this century. Doesn't seem to work so far.

One out of Seven

Should I choose one of the capital vices to represent the very core of my soul it would be envy. (Yes, the capital vices are a proper thing to ponder at this hour in the morning.) I’m rather an envious person – not that I’d like that too much, it just happens to be that way. That’s me and that’s how I’ll most likely remain happily ever after.

A few words concerning things I tend to envy.

Being envious of someone’s property or material things in general is something I find hard to understand. I don’t see the point of it; one doesn’t become worth envy merely by gaining wealth. What I envy is what comes before the status and its symbols. The skill. The hard work. The intelligence. The persistence. The courage. All these I value though skill above others. Luck is not included in this list. Luck is not worth envying. Luck is not deserved.

Oh how I envy those who truly are smart and skillful. Those who actually make things happen and deserve everything they’ve got. This is the very point: I’d never envy someone who succeeded in life by chance of being aided by luck. That kind of success is meaningless to me. Then again I could very well (and do, in fact) envy people that don’t necessarily seem successful but possess the intelligence and skills that are needed to gain something in life. That’s what I envy. The potential, not the outcome.

The nighttime frost finally came. I love these cool, bright autumn mornings. (It is both natural and perfectly understandable to move from the bitterness of capital vices to something as mundane as weather. Not giving a damn about how awkward the transition is, of course.)