Events are Impersonal and Indifferent

I am kind of in a weird mood tonight. Actually, the mood has been lingering above my head all day. I hate when something is broke and I can't fix it. When I find myself in these weird moods, I like to turn to my favorite philosopher "Epictetus". I generally just open to any page and read. Today I read Events Are Impersonal and Indifferent. When considering the future, remember that all situations unfold as they do regardless of how we feel about them. Our hopes and fears sway us, not events themselves. In any event, however seemingly dire, there is nothing to prevent us from searching for its hidden opportunity. It is a failure of the imagination not to do so. But to seek out the opportunity in the situation requires a great deal of courage. There are other several paragraphs that speak to events, but I believe I got the basis of what it means. I ask myself the question, how do you stop missing someone? How do you stop missing an entire past life-style? People do it all the time and I know the quote unquote professional answer "Time". It takes time. We can neither hurry it along or stop it. Time is time. Nothing more nor nothing less.

I spent some time sitting on the terrace outside my room in Amalfi that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. The sun felt good upon my face and I enjoyed how the sunlight danced across the water. I felt good. Alive. Every problem, every memory was hidden in my mind and all I could think about was the beauty surrounding me. Rome was fun. The sights in Venice were magnificent. But here in this magical place, I felt at peace with myself and the world. When it came time to leave, I felt sadness. When we flew back to London, I considered getting on a plane to Ireland and finding family and staying with them while working at a pub. It is a one hour flight from London to Dublin. I was so tempted. Forget about responsibility to others. Obviously, the practical Pat came back to the real world with the real mortgage, real job and real problems. So here I am looking out the window of a 10th floor Condo watching the white fluffy clouds float by in the blue sky. In the distance are trees and hills. Opportunity Epictetus says, I look towards that opportunity with anticipation.