I am now the Answer

My wife has been the Answer for several weeks. I caught up today, this fifth “Patriot Day”. This hundredth anniversary of the day Mohandas K. Gandhi launched his nonviolent protest movement. This prematurely gray autumnal day.

It was a large room. Full of people. All kinds. And they had all arrived at the same building at more or less the same time. And they were all free. And they were all asking themselves the same question: What is behind that curtain? You were born. And so you’re free. So happy birthday.

Another one. Half done.

Always say, no matter how many: half done.

Persist in this, and the crisis will never strike. That is, you may miss the inevitable transition from over- to underestimation. Miss the day you’re right.

Miss the day when the error of the estimate reaches 100%—the day of all done.

Familiarity breeds contempt. At a certain point, these avowed half-way days will become less a reminder, more a nagging itch. More a background hiss; noise on the track that records your progress towards prospect and goal, and perhaps some comfortable denouement.

At a certain point, you will however be able to think: _half done… at least.__

This is normal. This is appropriate. It is always going to be true, at some point or other.

But always keep in mind that you have transitioned, saying half done from the very beginning, from pessimism to optimism.

_And so you’re free.__