When the World Is Too Much With Us

Our strength is through others — on the page or in person

A Difficult Line from Horace by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1881 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)

“Nothing is so bitter that a calm mind cannot find comfort in it.” — Seneca, c. 60

Odds are that you, like many people around you in recent days, are overwhelmed.

The news is coming at us relentlessly, whether local, national, or international.

And it’s all pretty terrible.

Of course, uncertainty and bad news aren’t unique to the present era; every generation has had to deal with upheaval, catastrophic events, and anxiety about what might be next.

In such circumstances, we need a break — physically, mentally, spiritually — we need to distance ourselves from the ceaseless volleying of the artillery of the media, constantly being replenished with horror, outrage, and sadness.

I’ve felt this way frequently in the past few years, and have needed to unplug. Less dot c…