I Am Dying, So to Speak

“The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.”

-- Jean-Paul Sartre

I am dying.

I am slowly wasting away and will, soon, become a mere figment of my former self.  My joints will begin to ache until movement is too painful to bear without medication.  Incontinence will set in and my mind will begin to fail.  The keyboard will become beyond my ability, as will paintbrushes and my art.  Certainly, woodworking will become forgotten history as the mind becomes confused and I find myself wearing only tighty-whities in the park.

I am dying.

It began the day I was born.  I learned to crawl before I walked; learned to walk before I ran, and began running inexorably toward death without much care for my safety, or what a misspent youth would ultimately visit upon my body.  I take stock of the multitude of tiny scars and the aches and pains, and the stories that follow each of them.

I am dying.

I try to bend myself into a pretzel in order to reach a screw so I can complete a repair, and I immediately begin to cramp in my leg.  I reach for it and cramp in my shoulder, then in my back.  I unfold myself just as my chest cramps up.  I find myself on my knees, forehead on the floor, hoping no one sees me.  Hoping the chest cramp isn't a heart attack.  It hurts like hell.

I am dying.

I wake up in the morning, thankful to God for the gift of another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel in life.  I realize my right contact lens has dried out because my eye burns and feels like someone poked me in the eye with a dull stick.  I remove the lens to give my eye a break and go for a cup of coffee.  I spill coffee on the counter while pouring it because, having a monocular focus, I now have no depth perception.  I wipe up the spill, pick up the cup, cough to get the evening's crap out of my chest, and spill coffee on the floor.

I am dying.

And, this is life.  You're born, you live, and then you die.  While you live you learn everything you need to move on into your next existence.  You don't truly die, you see, only the physical shell allowing your soul to exist on this plane ceases to function while you, on the other hand, move forward to learn more, or are reborn to live here, once more, because you failed to learn anything.

I am dying, but not yet.

I still have much to do and even more to learn; lessons I paid little attention to while I was growing up.  I will die, eventually, or my physical shell will, but, like all of us, I will move on to exist forever as part of the greater universal energy we call God; bio-computers programmed to learn all we can and report back to the mainframe for download and reassignment.  Death is not an option.

I will continue to exist.

We have been gifted with an emotional attachment to existence.  Those who become corrupted inhabit another realm until they straighten out and get with their program.  We will continue to bump into each other on our multiple journeys through existence.  Our energies have a particular charge that attracts us to each other so, regardless of the plane of existence, we will meet again.

Enjoy the life you have on this plane of existence, and be happy always!

“It does not take much to make us realize what fools we are, but the little it takes is long in coming.”

-- Flannery O'Connor

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.