Another North Korea missile alert. The first time it was scary, the second disconcerting, now it’s a joke. Complacency? Julian Barnes writes in Nothing To Be Frightened Of that Somerset Maugham “thought that the best frame of mind in which to conduct life was one of humorous resignation.” Epictetus teaches us that some things are in our control and others not. So, while I cannot control missile launches or the tiresome hysteria that the media cashes in on, I can make light of it and encourage my kids to imagine Tony Stark shooting the missile down (hand gestures and spittle-laced sound effects galore). Eventually, we’ll all be dead; that’s what really sucks.
On North Korean Missile Launches
The Everyday Essayist 