A comet by the tail

I have to imagine that almost everyone knows about Halley's Comet. Its orbit brings it close to Earth about every 75 years. The last time it was nearby was 1986. A group of friends and I actually went out to see it then, and I found myself thinking about that on a drive recently as I happened to pass the park where we watched it.

To say I was geeked to see it would have been understatement. As a child I recall me Grandpaw Hutchins talking about when it passed in 1910, when he was a 11. He described it as very bright, and a spectacular sight. Some folk, he explained, thought it was the end of the world, the sight was so unusual. It turns out that Earth actually did pass through the tail of the Comet, so it surely was an awe (and perhaps fear) inspiring event.

Needless to say that after years of self induced build up I really wanted to see that thing return. I mean, I really wanted to see it. And so I did: as a tiny line on the lower western horizon from where that group of us spied it. Halley's Comet wasn't inspiring at all, let alone menacing.

I wish it had been better, especially I don't expect to have the chance to see again as it will be 2061 when it returns and making it to 102 years old is highly unlikely. Still, I have me Grandpaw's description of it. And I have the memory of his memory too, which ain't a bad thing.

As we know it

News flash: the world is going to Hell. Do what you will, think what you will, hope what you will, the world's heading straight into the fireball. It's going to happen.
But that doesn't mean today. In fact, it likely will not be today, nor anytime soon.
If I've learned anything after 57 years on God's green Earth, beyond the right to speak like an old guy (things was differnt when I was a boy I tell ya), is that we ain't perfect. Some of us is less perfect than others, all the way to being downright evil. I mean that. Because of that (outside of Divine intervention, but that's not the point here) the world will destroy itself one day. It will happen. You cannot stop it. You are not and will not be in a position to affect it. Period.
I'm not saying not to work for a better world just the same. You certainly should act within your sphere to do what you can to forestall the day of reckoning. But never mind the peripherals: fake news, President Trump, North Korean nukes, Brexit, any ism you can imagine, Obamacare, Fox News over MSNBC. You cannot affect them on a broad scale. Stop fretting.
Be nice to your neighbor. Help directly someone who needs help. Do your job well. Discuss the issues even, among friends and charitably. I personally believe giving the Almighty His due wouldn't hurt either. But stop feeding the beast. You're not then delaying the end of the world. But you just might be helping to bring it if you stoke the coals for the people actually driving the train. You might then be helping the end come before it must.