Every so often matters that don’t immediately concern or feed into the writing of the column gather mass and force like a huge wave swell. It doesn’t seem like much at first, but then the wave starts to break big-time and the roar becomes louder and louder and before you know it you’re being slammed and knocked upside down and gasping with water up your nose. This happens every so often. You cope with it as best you can. Not the end of the world, but it eats the day.