Fools and fanatics
Going back to my maritime analogy, when the nights were cloudy and sailors didn’t have stars to figure out where they were going, they used deductive reasoning to essentially say:
If I know I was there on Tuesday traveling X knots per hour, and today is Wednesday, then I must be here.
They didn’t call this deductive reasoning, though, they called it deductive reckoning, which was shortened to ded reckoning, which morphed into dead reckoning.
And it’s apt cause the problem with dead reckoning is accumulating error: If I’m wrong about any assumption, that error is magnified the further you travel in time and space. You think you’re heading to safe shores and instead you’re adrift, thousands of miles off course.
We got good news last Monday that was taken away from us on Friday – the doc missed something. Our good news never ends up being good for very long.
So we’re back to trying to figure out what to do next.
Which means that I stay up at night, thinking of all our possible pasts, trying to determine the cascading consequences of my actions. Or inaction.
This fella named Bertrand Russell said that, “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.”
Not that I’m so wise, but it’s come to this, where I’m envious of fools and their ability to sleep. But that’s for me to deal with.
Her: Are you ok?
Me: Of course. You’re home. The kid is walking. And I had a gyro for lunch. What else could a fella want?
Her: (teasing) Me to be cancer free?
Me: Well, there is that.
Many thanks again to my friends Ricky and Kathy, who – with their friends and mine – managed to raise $12,000 for Alison with their dinner fundraiser.
Thank goodness for the good souls.
Location: off to the gym to try and forget for a bit
Mood: tired
Music: Thank goodness for the good souls that make life better
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5 replies on “Dead reckoning”
I am so sorry. I was happy that you had stable scan after reccurance. It have me hope. I am reading this in the bus. I am going over 2000km in two days to get next opinion on my husband’s GBM. Because I am full of doubts and cannot sleep. Brainbutton
Hi there! Sorry for the late reply, I didn’t even realize that you commented because the cancer takes up so much of my time.
Hope is the beginning of good things. Hold on to that and try. There’s nothing if you don’t hope and try.
Please keep me in the loop?
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