4/25/18

Andrew Klavan on a conversation with a guy who defuses bombs:
“So, how do you deal with stress in your job?”
Bomb guy: “Oh, there’s no stress.
I either get it right…
or it’s not my problem any more.”

My friend said,”Here’s something for you to ponder. Apatheism.”

“What?”

“Apatheism. You know what Apathy is?”

“I don’t care.” I grinned.

“Exactly!”

He had met up with an old work friend from years ago. In the conversation, he had asked his friend if he ever read the Bible.

“Oh, no. I’m not religious. I don’t care about any of that stuff.”

My friend looks at me. “How do you deal with that? If you’re talking to an atheist, you tell him why you believe, he tells why he doesn’t. You have a discussion. But here, he seems happy, except maybe a little lonely. And bored. What am I supposed to tell him? Leave your happy life and be miserable like me?” He smiled. I had to leave.

Thinking about it though, maybe the two have something in common.

One day, the bomb will probably go off.

Then, there is nothing either guy can do.

I get the feeling that the bomb guy is ready. He’s thought about the situation, the possibilities, the probable final day, and he has put his life into the hands of the One that made him able to do this job.

I don’t think the other guy is.

Either, he hasn’t thought about the coming last day…

Or, he has…

And he just doesn’t care.

Or, maybe, he’s afraid to talk about it.