THE ONLY FOR CERTAIN—
I think it was. Ben franklin who said “the only things for certain are death and takes.’ On the other hand it might have been Groucho because he said a lot of wise things like when exiting the house of an uppity couple he was heard saying “I have had a perfectly lovely evening—-but this wasn’t it.”
Anyway somebody claimed that taxes and death. We’re the only things for certain and tomorrow is the traditional tax day in the U.S. —well not this year! This year we have put off taxes until July and if we can put off taxes...well what about death? Now to clarify I’m not talking about. Coming back from the dead... Easter was yesterday and so that’s already been done (according. To a lot of people). I’m talking about not dying at all. This brings me. To another quote that I can’t attribute to anyone in particular, however, I appreciate it fully. “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”
I don’t want to get morbid here, or be accused of taking. A serious topic too lightly and yetI will not stand silently by at this critical. Time.
Here’s the thing about. Death. In western cultures except. With the possibility of the Irish we take. This death thing all too seriously so in seeking peace and joy I’m offering a different perspective today.
Like you I’ve seen the constant news report on COVID - 19. Every day the body count is hammered out to let us know we should take this seriously and every time I hear it my mind wanders down two paths.
Path One. Life Toll?
Why don’t we have the news media seek out people who are fully engaged in life? We could feature people who are totally in love or falling in love, who are comfortable with. Their body, who are expanding their talents and sharing them with others.... you know people who are fully alive? Why can’t we track that? Why can’t this be the highlight of each and. Every day? For me, these are the. People I 2ould like to pay attention to and. Learn from-how about you?
Path. Two—Exit Strategies
Well since my friend RVR said a couple months before he died—“living is hard—if dying is hard hard why can everyone do it? RIP Bob—I have had a different attitude about The Whole thing. I don’t mean to be crude, hopwerver, let’s face it. We were all a little scared and excited before we knew what an orgasm felt like. Many of us really wondered what it would be like to get high or drunk. The b ottom line is there are all kinds of firsts. In life that we are anxious about and many of them turn out better than we could ever imagine. Maybe death is one of those. As far as exiting goes... we can , if we choose design our final exit even if the cause of death and time isn’t up to us. Having said this I urge you all to think about and make peace with your final send off. What music would you have your friends hear and why? Where would you have your friends and family standing to get closure? Are there any worldly objects you’d like to take along at least symbolically? A music group called “Family of the Year” outlines their wishes and the most recently. Departed John Prine made his preferneces known.
So here are some notes I would like to leave for my survivors.
I think I would prefer ashes to a casket, however I probably won’t speak out in protest either way. If it is a casket I only have three wishes. I want it to be motorized with a remote so that little kids can drive me around the funeral home while their parents and grandparents mumble on about how peaceful I look. Since I’ll be. In a funeral “parlor” I would like there to be parlor games or at least games of some sort. Maybe sharades—but the deaf people. Can’t play and can’t have each other as partners because they would kick ass. So maybe have my casket modified so that their is some sort of board game built in to the top. Now I. Would think BackGammon would be classy and try to avoid monopoly—greedy folks have enjoyed my life enough and it takes way too long—let’s keep this. Moving there is drinking. To be done. The third thing Iwant is a cloud. Sewn. On the inside or painted. On the inside. The inside would be better as I am wanting a silver lining in my casket and every cloud has a silver lining or in my case every silver lining should have a cloud right?
Okay..if it’s ashes I have already expressed the fact that I want to be shot out out of. One of the World. War II surplus guns that faces Illinoisa from Burlington Iowa. If that can’t happen make it a river somewhere, but if not make it anywhere except for a fireplace mantle or a Walmart parking lot.
Well I’ve gone on way too long...the reality is there is very little certainty in life and we focus on the tragic and end way too much when taking advantage of living a full life and assisting our fellow travelers in doing. So. It’s not the days in our life that matter it’s the life in our days... (Check out John Murray’s. Story in the Pioneer Press...I’ll link to it tomorrow and did a couple of days ago. Fill your moments up with. Meaning.
Pandemic Journal Day 7–Well gee—-you may be able to tell this constant. Talk of fear and death is starting to get under my skin a bit.... okay a lot. Yesterday it became apparent my TV remote is broken and I can’t change the channel on my TV even though I have several hundred channels. To pick from. Luckily I still have the best. Choice—OFF, because 24 hours of death tolls and how we could have done things differently or how we. Are shooting for normal just isn’t cool. “Normal” was no party for some of us and shouldn’t we all cherrsih and gravitate toward extraordinary? So on day 7 PE in my Pandemic Era... I urge you all to reach out or reach deep within and prove you are alive. Let’s see. If we can’t make the “alive toll” rise significantly!
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