My life—the simple life I see when I close my eyes, where I am a student of the classics, of science, of history, keeping my appointments with plenty of time to expand the perimeters of my mind—seems to be getting away from me. Occasionally when walking in the park, I come across a desperate soul attempting to keep pace with a large, insistent hound. They end up being yanked about, tripping over their own shoes. This is how I feel just now.