Have you ever noticed how people become frantic when their routines are taken away?

It is commonplace to hear stories about retirees who go into a funk because they no longer have offices to occupy, people to see, appointments to keep, and decisions to make.

Kids, who have their iPod, TV, cell phone, and video game privileges suspended, find it hard to occupy their time with more than nail biting and moping.

What these suddenly freefalling spirits have in common is the inability to let their mud settle, as the Tao, the famous book of Chinese wisdom describes it. They fear silence, because something unexpected might sneak up on them.

And of course, this is natural, especially if we