Tonight this question came to me via a migrating goose flying over the bay. And I take it the asker, signing name only as “Joey Silverado”, is really saying, not just why should they stay calm amid turbulent troubles, but perhaps also how. How do we carry on when it is hard, even painful to do so.
I had a Buddhist friend once who told me to be kind to everyone, because everyone is on their own complicated and stormy journey- and we have to allow for that. We have to know that it isn’t just us that “all this is happening to” but in fact, it is likely that everyone has moments in a day where they say, like Beckett, “I can’t go on.. i’ll go on…”
I will say this. Despite the horrible corruption of this saying (which comes from posters that the British gov. put up around London during the bombings of WWII)- yes you see all this nonsense like “keep calm and krav-maga on” or “keep calm and knit on” etc..despite all this, the aphorism is a great one, and sums up all of Seneca and Epictetus in those 2 words.
But should you, should you is the question. Sometimes yes. Sometimes you must simply breathe and brave on to another day. But other times, no- there are times when to carry on the same way is crazy- there are just a few times in life when you must put up both hands and say NO- “in my gut I know this is wrong, so No.”
So if the bombs are dropping on you, at first, keep calm and carry on- but later, in calmness and reason, fire up the jets and get back at those bastards.
Keep calm and Zamboni On
great zamboni 