There is a dark and deadly force afoot; it is not me. Be careful. Everything is at risk. Beware of the desire for safety, economic security, religiosity, professed loyalty, corporate friendship, consumerism, adherence to false rules and laws, and the easy road of conformity. Do not become weak. Freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and the freedom to hear and see different ideas are what keep you free. Developing the ability to exist as a stranger in a strange land and survive is a true gift or an acquired skill. Understand what Nietzsche meant when he said that “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.” Understand Neil Postman’s warnings about our transition from a technocracy to a technopoly. Understand what Mary Shelley tried to teach us about empathy, and otherness, and transcendency over two hundred years ago. Goethe, Emerson, Thoreau, and Rilke are good guides through this postmodern fog in which we live. Be safe. Be kind to others, especially those who don’t deserve it … like me.