David's Mother

I spoke with Dave of the11thhour tonight. His mother passed this morning after a long struggle with cancer. Two years ago she came very close to dying, but rebounded. She spent the last two years living life to the fullest by celebrating her faith, enjoying time with her family and friends, travelling, teaching, and helping others. Essentially she lived life the way we all know that we should - treating it as a sacred gift. That was perhaps her most consistent lesson.

This morning when I read Dave's blog post relating the news of his mother's departure I felt very sad. I was at work, and I had to deal with clients all day, and could not mourn for this woman who had played the role of second mother to me. I found it difficult to concentrate. Finally, on the way home from work the sadness found release - but not total.

My mother passed away two years ago, and the sadness that met that occassion revisited me - mixing with the pain I was feeling about David's mother leaving us.

When I finally came home I spoke with my spouse, and drank two beers. I made a choice that I would not drink any more than two, as I did not want to drown out my grief with alcohol.

The sense of depression was much allievated after talking with Dave. In fact that conversation is the reason I can go to sleep tonight - without drinking the remaining beers in the fridge.

I hate death, sickness, and suffering. I can imagine people like Hitler, or Osama Bin Laden deserve to meet up with illness, and death, but I just don't feel that it's fair that good people should have to be taken from us.

Human beings probably don't deserve immortality, but I believe for most people living to fifty years of age, or even a hundred and twenty years just isn't enough. There's so much to learn, so much to grow, so much to experience that there's no way to take it all in during the short lifespan we human beings allowed.

What do we do knowing there's so little time? Do we ignore death for as long as possible, or do we embrace it, and accept the lesson it teaches us? Do we waste the time we have, or use it as fully as possible?

Dave's mother lived a good life, and played the teaching role many times over many decades to many people. In the end, in those last years, in those last days, even in those last moments, she taught her family and friends the importance of living each moment to the fullest.

I'll always remember her, and always have a place for her in my heart.

Au Revior

Transdimensional Ego Archive

Transdimensional Ego Archive

The ultimate question in determining the likelihood of transdimensional access to the human ego is whether technology has, or could ever be developed which would enable the detection, recording, and interpretation of brainwaves though the employment of nanoscale cybernetic brain implants, use of tachyonics, or through a possible combination of each.
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Springfield Illinois Hot As Hell

Some would say the comparison shouldn't stop there.

Last Day of July 2006

While I hate the electric bill, and don't really like walking around in the heat now-a-days there's something about a stretch of hot summer days which so overwhelmingly reminds me of my childhood that I must admit it - I like it.

As a child I remember those hot summer days when the road asphalt would bubble, and stick to my heels. Playing without shoes was o.k., but mom would get mad when I'd come in with the bottoms of my feet covered in road tar.

I recall Mr. Softy - the icecream man ringing his bell. Boy I'd run back to my mother, and beg for some change!

I remember when after hours of playing in the hot sun I'd race to my pals to the nearest water spigget. We'd all race as fast as we could to see who could get to the water faucet first. If you didn't get there first you'd have to wait, and wait, and wait for your turn. If you won the race you'd slurp down that water, and relish the fact that you were making your friends suffer.

Boy that water tasted better than anything else in the world as you'd gulp it down! Each gulp was more like breathing the water rather than drinking it. You'd drink so fast that you'd almost forget to catch your breath.

Your brain would be bursting from the heat, yet simultaneously send you into an altered state of pure juvenile pleasure over simple H2O. Ah the simple things are the best. The cold water tasted so good it really did.

Eventually, and it was probably only seconds, it just felt much longer, your buddies would pull you off of the water to get their chance.

Don't drink too much of that now! It will make you sick!
Make sure to turn the tap off when you're finished!
Would come the call.

Moms stayed home back then - well not always, but more often than now.
Always there to offer some motherly advice, or to offer a fresh made white bread sandwich.

Then there was airconditioning!
Out playing all day in the heat of summer, and you'd run inside to get something.
Oh my what an experience. From hot to cold in a second flat.
This was especially intense if you were swimming, and came inside the ice cold house.
Shivvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr!

And summer nights when the AC would be blasting, and the fans would be chilling.
Somehow those times seem more real to me.

The heat.
The cold.
The blaring sun.

Did I mention sun burns.
Yes, sunburns before anyone thought of cancer.

Summers then lasted for a million years.
Those are the days we all remember.