FATE

Hello...? Fate...? Where are you? I know you're around here somewhere...

Yes?

There you are.

I'm not hard to find. I'm everywhere. I'm steering your life, and the lives of all those around you.

I know. That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about.

Do tell.

Well, I'm curious. Is life this confusing for everyone on the planet, or do you have some grudge against me in particular?

What do you mean?

Well, it sort of seems as if my life has been on a strange, surreal, and occasionally terrifying roller coaster since, well, since around last August, actually.

Mm-hm...

And I'm just wondering if that's normal. I'm getting kind of dizzy.

Everyone has their own life to lead.

Right.

So, to answer your question, no. No, life isn't necessarily as confusing for everyone else as it is for you. However, there are some whose lives are more confusing as yours, so I suppose you should count your blessings.

That's one blessing. Counting up to one doesn't take very long.

There are others.

Such as?

I'm not going to do all your homework for you. Blessings are everywhere. If you can't see them, that's your problem not mine.

"Stop and smell the roses," you're saying.

Hardly. I abhore cliches.

But the underlying message...

Is awfully cliched.

Okay, fine, look. All I really want to know is this. Is this roller coaster thing going to go on for awhile longer? Or can I expect things to kind of slow down and get back to normal anytime soon?

That would be telling.

And that would be why I'm asking.

If I told people of their fates, where would the excitement be? The excitement, whether you realize it or not, stems from those roller coaster moments. Those moments of terror. Without them, life would be dull. It would be repetitive.

I don't mind dull and repetitive now and then. I'd sort of prefer it sometimes.

Do you see the sign that says, "Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back?"

Nope.

And there's a reason for that. Quit your whining. No one wants to hear it.

Fine.

Just remember. I'm only providing the backdrop to your life. The decisions -- how you choose to react to the things I provide you -- are entirely up to you.

I don't believe in free will.

Yeah, well, technically you only discard the notion of free will when time is viewed from an omniscient perspective. You still acknowledge that, given how we perceive time, the illusion of free will exists, and so you must continue to make choices.

But those choices can't be avoided. I'll make the ones I'll make whether I want to or not.

No. You'll make them *because* you want to. And that's why they're the only choice you can make.

And what's the right choice?

Right, wrong, who cares? Is it more right to eat corn flakes for breakfast, or toast? It's neither. They're just choices. I already told you, quit your whining, and get back to living your life. You used to complain that things were boring. Now there's some excitement and you complain about a roller coaster. I never took for you the type to never be satisfied.

So, no hints from you, then.

Not a one. Sorry. Look, I've got to go. It's been good chatting and all, but there's lots of world events I need to exert my influence on, so if there's nothing more you need to say...

No, it's cool. Take care.

Cheers, mate.