How much of one’s life is wasted on moronic chores that must be attended to! At present, I am battling with the organization that manages the bulk of my American pensions. After several correct payments to my account, they started making federal tax deductions. As I am neither a citizen nor a resident of the United States, I should not be paying tax there. I am both a citizen and a resident of Croatia, and all my tax liabilities are here. I have already written to the pensions people and to the Internal Revenue Service, but federal tax deductions keep being made. Good money is involved here, and I cannot simply forget about this stupid mistake. Besides, a straightforward principle is involved. I must battle it out. This morning I have written to all those concerned once again. The only words of advice that feel soothing at the moment are Krishna’s words to Arjuna from The Bhagavad Gita: “Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward. Work not for a reward, but never cease to do thy work.”[1]

Addendum (September 30, 2017)

It is a real joy to come across this piece of writing while copyediting my magnum opus. “Set thy heart upon the work,” I keep repeating after Krishna, “but never on its reward.” How right! And how soothing, too! Indeed, the reward of copyediting never crosses my mind, not even fleetingly. Reward, what reward? But I do work as hard as ever, and with gusto. By the time I am finished with copyediting, which will take me another six months at most, my Residua will be a joy to revisit. Immaculate. Pristine. Nay, virgin. Ah, I can feel tears welling up already…

Footnote

1. Translated by Juan Mascaró, Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1962, p. 52.