Nulli est homini perpetuum bonum . . . )
(Plautus, Curculio 189)

There is no such thing as unending good fortune for anyone.

(pron = NOO-lee ehst HOH-mih-nee pehr-PEH-toom BOH-noom)

Comment: A friend frequently enough reminds me that it would not be normal to
wish for the ocean waves to stop coming in, or to stop going out. At first the
reminder always seems a little absured, but he's just pointing a finger a larger
phenomenon. Life is by its nature rhythmic. The tide comes it, and the tide
goes out. To put a halt to that would mean death, literally. That rhythm of
the movement of water keeps the planet alive, affects sea creatures, the
movement of air, weather, climate, etc.

There is a rhythm to the blood flowing through my veins. Does anyone want the
rhythm to stop? Probably no takers today! There must be rhythm for life.

And so it is with "good" fortune. It's part of the rhythm. We just,
unfortunately, put labels on these rhythm. Imagine saying that a heart beat
was a bad thing and that the space in between the beats was a good thing. How
absurd. Both are required, equally, to make blood flow.

The character in Plautus' Curculio is coming to this realization when he says
these words, and it follows that the fortune called "good" heretofore is about
to change to "bad".

But, in theater, as in life, if there is no rhythm to the fortune of the
characters, there is no story.