Blog Dis
Perspective is everything
2024-05-28
A favourite subject of mine is death, to which I shall return to, periodically. Why? Because I'm not frightened by the subject of death; rather it intrigues me. None of us knows when our time will cease to exist, notwithstanding those who take matters into their own hands. Pity, of course, but this is the human condition at its worst, and for some, at its best, because they've chosen to exit on their terms. And no one has the right to tell a terminally ill individual that you have to continue to endure your torment, because it makes 'us' feel better to be humane in the eyes of the courts... [but don't get me started on euthanasia].
If you're blessed, for lack of a better word, maybe you'll go in your sleep, quietly, without fanfare while those you love surround you, sitting by your bed, recalling the days of yore and how you were such a fabulous and generous individual. But as you read this, that day is not today. Today, you've much to deal with, such as rising grocery prices and the fears of eating contaminated foods, loaded with microbial parasites that are hungry enough to eat through your intestines, leaving you on intimate terms with Mr. Loo. Statistics confirm that at least 50% of food Canadians eat is imported. I find this staggering, given that Canada exports its goods to other countries to be refined, only to purchase them back. How crazy is that?
It's not only contaminated food you need to worry about, and how you're going to cover your grocery bills, there are a host of diseases in some countries that don't even have official names. Our modern world of global travel means that persons coming into your country may very well be carriers of these diseases. I still see persons in my city wearing masks, despite the Covid pandemic having been declared officially over by the World Health Organization back in May 2023. This is really the purpose of this post, as we near the end of May. According to my health services centre, Tuberculosis has seen an upswing in the last decade, due to global travel. And, as per the nurse practitioner with whom I meet, parents need to keep in mind too that visiting petting farms (a popular activity in summer) with your kidlets can also mean they'll pick up TB after they've petted animals. It's best that your kids learn to wash their hands before they touch their faces. This is the time of year when local fairs are in full swing, and they often include petting farms for curious kids.
Is it any wonder why some over indulge in drink, cigarettes, and other harsh chemicals to ward off the fears of living in an imperfect world? As I had recently noted in my post on addictions, I gave up the demon cigarettes years ago when I battled skin cancer and won. I don't miss cancer sticks at all and in fact, I'm proud of myself for not slipping back into the habit, particularly when I enjoy a cold one with friends who are casual smokers. Nor am I the free-wheeling teenager that I used to be, happy to experiment with various substances with nary a thought for a negative outcome. Collectively, as new generations replace their predecessors, we're becoming more and more sensitized to the perils of living in the 21st Century, be it contaminated food, environmental degradation, financial instability, becoming victim to online sharks and downsizing in the work place, not to mention a host of other potentials that can make your life a living hell.
Whoa! I haven't even gone into the number of illnesses that can and often befall the human body. Death is one tricky customer, loaded with surprises.
Enter free panaceas, the best kind of 'free' that I know of, to aid you in your quest to success in life, to cope with what lies ahead. I listen to music to uplift my spirit, every day, a little bit, even if only to work out to the sound of bopping tunes in the morning. Some of my music is peppered with a social conscience and knowing this, I purchase their music for that reason. But the last thing I want to hear from a live performing musician and their band, when I shell out serious coin for a ticket, is their personal views on what I can or should be doing to correct the evils of our misbegotten world. I don't go to outdoor shows to listen to anyone preach to me. I'll educate myself, thank you very much, on subjects that are relevant to the political environment in which I find myself.
One habit I've worked hard at cultivating is to embrace gratitude for all that I have, and for my freedoms. This attitude doesn't mean that I'll avoid death, silly girl, but it sure does mean that I'll happily go along in life until my death, at least this is the aim.
Life boils down to the deliberate management of your fears, hopes and desires. Some desire copious amounts of cigarettes, wine, beer and other hard alcohols, and I say more power to you, if you choose to behave this way, providing your behaviour doesn't take you away from the responsibility of managing your money, or from taking care of your spouse and children, and from performing your professional job. I believe at this juncture you can point your finger at me and accuse me of proselytizing to you on the perils of life and habits. Oh OK. Not put off just yet? I shall continue... 🤣 If your idea of a good life is to shag everything in sight, I shall say it again, more power to you. For sure, you'll depart this corporeal existence, regardless of your decorum or lack thereof, ultimately slipping into a world of spirits and the continuum of circulating energy... so goes one hypothesis.
Death will come for you, eventually, and your job between now and then is to determine what drives you, what fills the emptiness in your heart and soul, assuming you believe in the soul. For me, the soul is your moral centre and regardless of how you die, how you live holds the greatest impact on your happiness.
One of my favourite poets, Walt Whitman, sums up my feelings on coping in this world, before death, and he says:
"I think I could turn and live with the animals. They are so placid and self-contained. They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins. They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God. Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things. Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago. Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth."
Thank you ever so kindly, Mr. Whitman, for your soulful writings and the depth of your wisdom.
Perspective is truly everything.
If you're blessed, for lack of a better word, maybe you'll go in your sleep, quietly, without fanfare while those you love surround you, sitting by your bed, recalling the days of yore and how you were such a fabulous and generous individual. But as you read this, that day is not today. Today, you've much to deal with, such as rising grocery prices and the fears of eating contaminated foods, loaded with microbial parasites that are hungry enough to eat through your intestines, leaving you on intimate terms with Mr. Loo. Statistics confirm that at least 50% of food Canadians eat is imported. I find this staggering, given that Canada exports its goods to other countries to be refined, only to purchase them back. How crazy is that?
It's not only contaminated food you need to worry about, and how you're going to cover your grocery bills, there are a host of diseases in some countries that don't even have official names. Our modern world of global travel means that persons coming into your country may very well be carriers of these diseases. I still see persons in my city wearing masks, despite the Covid pandemic having been declared officially over by the World Health Organization back in May 2023. This is really the purpose of this post, as we near the end of May. According to my health services centre, Tuberculosis has seen an upswing in the last decade, due to global travel. And, as per the nurse practitioner with whom I meet, parents need to keep in mind too that visiting petting farms (a popular activity in summer) with your kidlets can also mean they'll pick up TB after they've petted animals. It's best that your kids learn to wash their hands before they touch their faces. This is the time of year when local fairs are in full swing, and they often include petting farms for curious kids.
Is it any wonder why some over indulge in drink, cigarettes, and other harsh chemicals to ward off the fears of living in an imperfect world? As I had recently noted in my post on addictions, I gave up the demon cigarettes years ago when I battled skin cancer and won. I don't miss cancer sticks at all and in fact, I'm proud of myself for not slipping back into the habit, particularly when I enjoy a cold one with friends who are casual smokers. Nor am I the free-wheeling teenager that I used to be, happy to experiment with various substances with nary a thought for a negative outcome. Collectively, as new generations replace their predecessors, we're becoming more and more sensitized to the perils of living in the 21st Century, be it contaminated food, environmental degradation, financial instability, becoming victim to online sharks and downsizing in the work place, not to mention a host of other potentials that can make your life a living hell.
Whoa! I haven't even gone into the number of illnesses that can and often befall the human body. Death is one tricky customer, loaded with surprises.
Enter free panaceas, the best kind of 'free' that I know of, to aid you in your quest to success in life, to cope with what lies ahead. I listen to music to uplift my spirit, every day, a little bit, even if only to work out to the sound of bopping tunes in the morning. Some of my music is peppered with a social conscience and knowing this, I purchase their music for that reason. But the last thing I want to hear from a live performing musician and their band, when I shell out serious coin for a ticket, is their personal views on what I can or should be doing to correct the evils of our misbegotten world. I don't go to outdoor shows to listen to anyone preach to me. I'll educate myself, thank you very much, on subjects that are relevant to the political environment in which I find myself.
One habit I've worked hard at cultivating is to embrace gratitude for all that I have, and for my freedoms. This attitude doesn't mean that I'll avoid death, silly girl, but it sure does mean that I'll happily go along in life until my death, at least this is the aim.
Life boils down to the deliberate management of your fears, hopes and desires. Some desire copious amounts of cigarettes, wine, beer and other hard alcohols, and I say more power to you, if you choose to behave this way, providing your behaviour doesn't take you away from the responsibility of managing your money, or from taking care of your spouse and children, and from performing your professional job. I believe at this juncture you can point your finger at me and accuse me of proselytizing to you on the perils of life and habits. Oh OK. Not put off just yet? I shall continue... 🤣 If your idea of a good life is to shag everything in sight, I shall say it again, more power to you. For sure, you'll depart this corporeal existence, regardless of your decorum or lack thereof, ultimately slipping into a world of spirits and the continuum of circulating energy... so goes one hypothesis.
Death will come for you, eventually, and your job between now and then is to determine what drives you, what fills the emptiness in your heart and soul, assuming you believe in the soul. For me, the soul is your moral centre and regardless of how you die, how you live holds the greatest impact on your happiness.
One of my favourite poets, Walt Whitman, sums up my feelings on coping in this world, before death, and he says:
"I think I could turn and live with the animals. They are so placid and self-contained. They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins. They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God. Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things. Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago. Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth."
Thank you ever so kindly, Mr. Whitman, for your soulful writings and the depth of your wisdom.
Perspective is truly everything.
