On the sorrow of finiteness

When I heard those words, I choked on my coffee, and nearly took my last breath spraying cappuccino over myself and my belongings. Though a good death, it was no ticket to Valhalla, so I paused the episode and went to take a shower. Upon my dignified return, The Demon (voiced by Liev Schreiber, I think) continued to explain that the very danger of happiness is that it doesn't last forever. Which is why Rick is terrified of it. Now you may have an opinion on Rick, and so do I, but LOOK OUT, it's Nolan North! He's in everything. Where did he go? He could be anywhere.

So while you're trying to find Nolan North in that episode, let me quote the final words ... spoken ... by Mr Poopybutthole (I hate this show):

Mmkay, I get it, someone is having a bout with disillusionment.

Is it fair to say that the scariest part of living is having to die? To have loved and lost is apparently preferable to having never loved at all. And in terms of Earthly feats, dying's pretty easy. And what of the pursuit of a singular goal?

Do I seek wisdom from an episode of Rick and Morty? I do. Because there's nowhere better to find good wisdom, than in a well-told story. Storytelling is a selfless art, you're not likely to be remembered better than the plot you spin, and the activity itself doesn't cost anything. For the low, low price of electricity, we have access to an infinite number of stories.

And before electricity, we just huddled around fires, telling stories, as well as we remembered them.

I have to confess, I enjoy Norse mythology. Like many things, and people, it was ruined by the Nazis, but before the influence of Germanic purists, let me tell you... Those were some stories.

Take Odin's showdown with a mystery hole. By the way, what's in the name? It's disputed whether his name is derived from óðr meaning "insane", "frantic", and "furious" or representing a separate deity, the only one that both the Proto-English as well as the Proto-Germanic people agreed on being batshit crazy.

The Allfather is depicted having only one eye because in his singular pursuit of knowledge, he made a sacrifice to the Well of Wisdom. Or Mimir. Who may or may not have been the well. After acquiring access to infinite knowledge, it is said that Odin hung himself, as a consequence to trying and failing to stab himself to death with Gungnir, his magical spear. He was dead for nine days, what for? Who knows. He was, after all, nuts. He didn't want to die as fate foretold, that much is clear. And upon his resurrection, this passage in Rúnatal speaks plainly:

The wisdom he acquired from the runes, the wisdom he had to die for, was about balance. And did he learn that lesson after giving an eye and his life? Hell no. It was Odin! Some people think it's poetic that by sacrificing an eye, he was incapable of seeing depth in that prophecy. It's me. I'm "some people". I love optometrist jokes.

See now why I picked Norse mythology? Zeus also had one goal. But Zeus never forgets to have fun. All things considered and all holes explored, Zeus understands balance. Was he any good at being a leader? Of course not. Did he die like ever, though? Also no. Weeeheell, there's some debate with Crete about how Zeus is supposed to die once a year, mauled by a boar, God knows what that's a metaphor for, but what do those Cretans know? They're Cretans. The Greeks believed that the only way for a deity to pass is to be forgotten. Good thing the internet's forever, huh?

So how do you face the Fear Hole that tells you that happiness is scary?

I think I have an answer now.

What would it take?