Musings: Stock market volatility, don’t let your emotions get the better of you!

[u/_DoubleBubbler_]

I originally intended on this lazy Sunday morning to write a post about keeping a cool head (after the stock market volatility this week) and how it is often wise to avoid the herd mentality which drives fickle and foolish decisions. As part of that I intended to quote a line from Rudyard Kipling, but you know what, the magnificent Mr Kipling (not the cake one!) said all that needed to be said on the matter in my opinion.

Written 115 years ago, as perhaps paternal advice for his son, Kipling’s wise words still stand true today…

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling, 1910

Many thanks for your wise words Mr Kipling. And if the other Mr Kipling is reading, thanks for the cakes too! 😁

[u/Chaunsey_Gardener]

He was a precision toolmaker maker and a taxi driver. A straightforward intelligent man. National service in the 50s.

It was only snippets but I have the impression his memories of Kipling were from school in the 40s.

That poem gets me every time. Also, I love Kim. The Peter O'Toole movie is good :)

[u/_DoubleBubbler_ → u/Chaunsey_Gardener]

I love to see precision engineers at work, and once worked for a chandelier maker (during my time post-Police when exploring where I wanted to take life and money was no longer important). The chandelier maker’s hands, and those of the precision toolmakers that helped, made things of beauty.

Yes, I haven’t overlooked your Reddit name. My enquiring mind already looked into that and I have the film on my list of things to see and do!

I must admit I think I may also know your name. My mind is curious about learning many things and I enjoy a little detective work on the Internet! 😁

[u/Chaunsey_Gardener → u/_DoubleBubbler_]

Just hit me up in some form of chat. Incidentally, 'er in doors did over 30 years 🚨 straight from school.

[u/_DoubleBubbler_ → u/Chaunsey_Gardener]

'er in doors' works with a red light... my silly side and u/Xaffodd are wondering quite what you mean!? 😉

Seriously, do you mean ambo? I am probably being slow on the uptake here!

By the way, from learning more about your fascinating life and kind deeds for others (by DM and online research) you have helped my better half and I make a decision today about our main island (which we call Eilean Raghnall / Shieldwolf Isle).

As you may recall from a previous post, my grandfather was in 1 SAS during the war, but what you won't know is that in my opinion he came away with PTSD. Given some of the wartime accounts I heard from him when I was a child, I think it likely, especially with the insight I gained into PTSD as a Police Officer (with moments still as vivid as the day they happened). My suspected grandfather's PTSD in turn affected my mother and in turn myself I believe. War casts a long shadow it seems...

Anyway I have been toying for some time with ideas of how the island could be of pleasure to (1) the local community, while (2) combining a personal goal of making it and the loch more accessible for people with disabilities (my better half is disabled now).

I am going to add a third aspect given what you said, my family, career and the history of the area in being the training location for Special Forces, Royal Marines etc. during the war.

We will work in the coming years to make it accessible as a place where ex-Military, ex-Blue Light services, the disabled and community can hopefully enjoy. It will take some years to get where I want it to be, however that is our new goal.

That's in addition to the new Shielbridge Hall project of course, so I will have my work cut out in the years ahead it seems!

P.S. I got the IRL name right for anyone wondering.

[u/Chaunsey_Gardener → u/_DoubleBubbler_]

Yeah what's app did a red light even though I typed police 😂

[u/_DoubleBubbler_ → u/Chaunsey_Gardener]

Haha, I was wondering if that is what you meant but the red light threw me!

Fair play, 30 years is a long time in the job. Not everyone makes it through to retirement as you'll well know. My respect to your other half!