It is a difficult adjustment to lose friends and family to the finality of death. We have to cherish the memories. The other interesting thing about death and a potential afterlife is that we don't know and we will never know. One of the benefits of being a self conscious animal. The similarity among near death experiences and their generally positive themes is comforting. Theories on what causes the physiological phenomenon are dependent on the expert making the analysis. Daniel Ellsberg, of Pentagon Papers fame, recently died and on his way out he said,
"If I had known dying was so easy I would have done it sooner."
This rocks! Your writing is getting better and better, which is a cool thing to happen at "our" age. The best defense against death is the intensity of life, and this has it. Thanks!
What a great line, "The best defense against death is the intensity of life."
All you can ask out of writing is to get better as you go along and reach more people. And after doing a weekly Substack for seven months, it's clear that writers should keep their day jobs.
I appreciate your willingness to lay out your deepest thoughts and feelings for all to see. Few of us are willing to do the same for fear of being rejected by a critical and unloving world. I love you, brother!
One of the many gifts of old age is developing a thickness of skin (that goes with a certain level of hard-headedness) where I don't much give a shit about a critical and unloving world. I write what I feel like writing in the hope that I have first, entertained and second, made the reader think. Thanks for the wonderful note. I've decided that you are now my favorite Brother in Law.
Thanks for the reflections. It is a topic I am fairly familiar with due to my work. One of the things that has captured my imagination is the title of a book, really a collection of writings, by Parker Palmer. On the Brink of Everything. I just love that title. It is full of hope and vitality.
Dr. Bruce Grayson has a book which recently came out on looking at a large number of near-death experiences. I watched him on the Oprah Winfrey podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLw5Y0tA4xg and it was very interesting hearing from a few people whom have died and come back to life. No one had a bad experience!
It's unfortunate that many people don't want to talk about death and dying, which is unfortunate. Death is a part of this journey we call life. It is truly stepping into the mystery of our lives. I also wonder about reincarnation! HA! And yes perhaps that is your friend the skipper flying across the sky....... Thanks for writing on this subject.
What I didn't mention is that shape shifting may be part of the after death experience. Skipper, the son of a fighter pilot, sometimes talked about becoming a pilot, but became a great sailor instead. So while he may indeed be that eagle I see cruising the thermals along the Front Range, he has shape shifted from a human form. My irrefutable source of information on shape shifting is my friend Elizabeth Cady Coyote.
Great quote from Ellberg. Made me laugh.
Good column!
It is a difficult adjustment to lose friends and family to the finality of death. We have to cherish the memories. The other interesting thing about death and a potential afterlife is that we don't know and we will never know. One of the benefits of being a self conscious animal. The similarity among near death experiences and their generally positive themes is comforting. Theories on what causes the physiological phenomenon are dependent on the expert making the analysis. Daniel Ellsberg, of Pentagon Papers fame, recently died and on his way out he said,
"If I had known dying was so easy I would have done it sooner."
Odd isn't it, that sometimes there is a feeling that someone is there watching. Nothing mystical or metaphysical about it. It is just a feeling.
I KNOW there is an afterlife. I feel Knick with me…. Not daily necessarily … but often enough …
This rocks! Your writing is getting better and better, which is a cool thing to happen at "our" age. The best defense against death is the intensity of life, and this has it. Thanks!
What a great line, "The best defense against death is the intensity of life."
All you can ask out of writing is to get better as you go along and reach more people. And after doing a weekly Substack for seven months, it's clear that writers should keep their day jobs.
good thoughts Bear,
This subject is always in the back of my mind as well. It all became real in November.
I pray I'll get to "see" Randy again, meanwhile filling up my day and life is a separate matter.
my job currently: looking for peace and purpose. You say things I just think... thanks for that.
I got in that old truck and had a sense that Randy approved of me using it to get mulch.It was just a fleeting thought, but it made me smile.
I appreciate your willingness to lay out your deepest thoughts and feelings for all to see. Few of us are willing to do the same for fear of being rejected by a critical and unloving world. I love you, brother!
One of the many gifts of old age is developing a thickness of skin (that goes with a certain level of hard-headedness) where I don't much give a shit about a critical and unloving world. I write what I feel like writing in the hope that I have first, entertained and second, made the reader think. Thanks for the wonderful note. I've decided that you are now my favorite Brother in Law.
Thanks for the reflections. It is a topic I am fairly familiar with due to my work. One of the things that has captured my imagination is the title of a book, really a collection of writings, by Parker Palmer. On the Brink of Everything. I just love that title. It is full of hope and vitality.
Great title that I've added to my booklist. Thanks for the comment Mark.
Dr. Bruce Grayson has a book which recently came out on looking at a large number of near-death experiences. I watched him on the Oprah Winfrey podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLw5Y0tA4xg and it was very interesting hearing from a few people whom have died and come back to life. No one had a bad experience!
It's unfortunate that many people don't want to talk about death and dying, which is unfortunate. Death is a part of this journey we call life. It is truly stepping into the mystery of our lives. I also wonder about reincarnation! HA! And yes perhaps that is your friend the skipper flying across the sky....... Thanks for writing on this subject.
What I didn't mention is that shape shifting may be part of the after death experience. Skipper, the son of a fighter pilot, sometimes talked about becoming a pilot, but became a great sailor instead. So while he may indeed be that eagle I see cruising the thermals along the Front Range, he has shape shifted from a human form. My irrefutable source of information on shape shifting is my friend Elizabeth Cady Coyote.
A very good article - Thankyou! Jannes Gibson
Thank you Jannes. Pass it on please.
Alan