I do not usually post my personal rants and ramblings on this Blog. But today is different. Today I am really having black coffee culled straight from the lava of Krakatoa, East of Java.
I seriously just want to know what field of science educates man about immortality?
What University, Ivy League or otherwise, teaches their studentry that the world revolves around their deflated, infantile egos and the entire universe will suspend gravitational force because some people just have so much shit going in their lives it means so much to all the life forces in the milky way?Do people really think that if you are of a different race, education, economic status, live in a different continent, drink a different blend of coffee; would make them immune from DEATH?
Do you really believe that when lava flows from a volcano, or when a tsunami wave that is approximately 1720 feet or 524 meters will pause and ask you if you know the derivation of pi? Or if you are tech-savvy?
Will a natural calamity or disaster, like an earthquake of 8.9 magnitude, stop in its wake to ask to if you are feeling bright and sunny today because it intends to seriously break your entire state into tiny shards while it tectonically rattles you to depths of distress you have never experienced in your life?
Will death itself not choose you today because you are having a "bad hair" day; severely PMS-ing; still need to go for your weekly spa treatment; just bought your new PS 3 game and still need to work it out; lost the last tennis game on Wii with a buddy and the rematch is scheduled next week; a book you have been procrastinating on finishing still needs to be read; and unfortunately, the last time you went to the ATM to buy those adorable Louboutin shoes it was freaking off-line and you have been agonizing if some "fugly" woman has bought it instead?
Has humanity completely lost its humane-ness in this mean and cruel world because of our obsession on individuality, our own uniqueness, self-preservation and materialism? I woke up today, alive. I woke up with a feeling of dread and a stark realization that my life whilst it means so much to me and my loved ones, is but a minuscule speck in the realm of the overall universe. I realized with a bitter taste in my mouth, my own mortality, the temporariness of everything around me; my vulnerability and incapacity to look at what I already have in the here and now, my raison d'etre. All my earthly trappings, my pettiness, what I believe are my prized possessions and achievements, my talents, my gifts, all of it, do they make up what I am, and who I am?Death is not the greatest loss in life.The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.-Norman Cousins
Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished:
If you're alive, it isn't.
-Richard Bach
If you're alive, it isn't.
-Richard Bach
Ambivalent as it may seem, I woke up today feeling grateful and sad.
p.s. I love your new picture, you are indeed beautiful! Great photography as well!
ReplyDeleteMmm, there is so much strong emotion in this post, Ms. Basher, as I was reading, I couldn't help but ask - what was it exactly that sparked this emotion? Surely yes, we can all agree that what is going on in Japan currently is devastating and that our hearts are with them. However, I want to know more about what you were getting at with your very first point of this blog: who has taught us immortality?
ReplyDeleteFood for thought?
Yes! I get that. The feeling as well as what you are saying.
ReplyDeleteNow, on the other hand, I want to leave you with this sayings:
Life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself (George Bernard Shaw)
All the time I thought I was learning how to live, I was actually learning how to die (Leonardo da Vinci)
Almost everything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it (Ghandi)
So, what do I want to say with these? Well, I have no idea, but they seem terribly relevant to what you (I) are feeling.
Hugs
Beautiful post. I relate.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read things like this I feel like writing a long post, mostly agreeing etc.
The problem is I get all excited and the blood starts pumping in my neck and I feel my heartbeat in my head...I don't think its just the coffee. Have you ever heard of drugs people use to speak in front of crowds to
keep thier blood pressure down? Thats what I need to post and probalby why I use poetry because I dont have to make sure it makes sense.:P
I really like what you said and admire your ability to write and make sense
:)
I know I'm not dying anytime soon....there's still more 'pissing off stupid' to do.
ReplyDeleteWith great, powerful ego, comes great responsibility to smack stupid.
~~P. Your words are so profound that I am still absorbing. Beautiful. True. Raw. Yes, I wonder why I am still here without my sister...then I awaken, my heart still beating, breath still upon my tongue.... God must have a reason that he's left me here without her.
ReplyDeleteExcellent Post. Especially with what just happened in Japan. xxxxx
*news ...goddam typos, saw that as I sent it
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
ReplyDeleteI woke up yesterday to the knoew on the telly, I know no-one in Japan, but when I saw the predictions for the tsunami I thought of you :)
Hope your loved ones are ok too x
What made Sodom and Gomorrah significance had they not been destroyed? There were simply places encompassed by biblical sins. They were not significant beyond being what Vegas is to America. Vegas, the modern capital of biblical sin but no one pays it much mind. If it were to become salt tomorrow we would all notice and suddenly it would become important. The World Trade Towers: two tall buildings that housed offices in a world of tall buildings that house offices. Buildings once unremarkable, in destruction gained significance that rallied a nation to actions. My grandfather was a man who spoke with me on many things, and told me many stories, and showed me many home videos of my forgotten childhood memories stored safe on magnetic tape, and was a man that I loved. When he died, I could not help but be entranced by those images and voices stored on magnetic tape that had previously sat unwatched gathering dust. While watching lost memories I discovered I loved him more and hurt more. I lost him and he became more to me than I could ever appreciate while I we breathed the same air. I write this now and I am just another blogger, another voice, and to even my followers and friends this is just another post. But, if I were to die now to some these ramblings would mean something more.
ReplyDeleteDeath and Apocalypse mean we are alive, and that we are unique, and that we are all a treasure to some, and that we all will be missed. God is not negligent or apathetic but loving in allowing destruction as we gain meaning.
Ring around the rosies
A pocket full of posies;
Ashes, Ashes
We all fall down,
We all transcend to something more.
I am not advocating death or suicide or global genocides, but remarking on their effects on us.
Of course if there is no end of times. Then typing randomly on a typewriter for eternity will produce Othello, then later will produce Othello, will then later produce Othello, and then later will produce Othello. A never ending recreation of the same discoveries and ideas. Repetition dulls the event. Is the sunset not a glorious event? As a child we watch it, but as we become adults the act of seeing it everyday turns glorious into mundane. Nothing is unique and thus nothing is special or worth treasuring. The eventual possibility of you and I have typed these words before and our possibilities in the future will type this.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at the universe as a the perfect eternal cycle the Apocalypse becomes not a thing of abject horror but a good thing. A finality that gives our existence uniqueness and thus meaning. Maybe that is how a loving God can destroy. To not destroy, to let the probabilities build, we would be meaningless. We end so our being can have meaning. God destroys out of love to give meaning to what would otherwise be universally insignificant.
There is a theory that the universe exists as a perfect repeating cycle of collapse, expansion, and creation. In any contained repeating cycle there exist the possibility for a repetition of events. Then there exists an immensely small probability that this universe will be created again with exactly the same properties, events, and decisions. When given an eternity possibilities become inevitabilities. Could the second coming of Christ be a reference to when the possibility of this Earth occurs again? If there is no apocalypse to herald destruction of all things might our unique life experience in fact be the 100th physical manifestation of an inevitable occurrence?
ReplyDeleteSort of seems like the kind of plan a God would make. First Earth is created and grace is provided. Time passes: stars and planets die, the universe recreates and recreates, billions of life forms and planets come into being all under grace. A grace continues. A grace which new life and souls might not even comprehend because they are part of a plan beyond the scope of mortal understanding. The recreation after recreation of new planets fills paradise with a multitude of souls creating a encompassing heaven full of unfettered variation, thousands of colors swirling together. Eventually, after billions of cycles, the eventual probability occurs (much how randomly typing on a type writer for all of eternity will eventually produce Shakespeare) and Earth reforms. Christ walks again and a plan that has encompassed many exaannum comes to fruition.
DD Optimist, for 2010 alone, an estimated close to 250 disasters took place all over the world. Albeit everywhere, there is so much hate, selfishness and worst, apathy. Japan was a bit too close to my first home. I used immortality as a contrast concept. It would appear based on people's behaviours, death is an option they can buy themselves out of and for the all-knowing scholars, rationalize. And that is an untruth.
ReplyDeleteThank you Keda, I love the quotes. They are indeed relevant and meaningful.
Rivercat, please, go write your post, just breathe and drink water. You know you can. I know you can do it so well.
D Duchess, sweetie, even if I can grant you 7 lifetimes, you will never run out of stupid to smack down!
DCG, the devastation in Japan is way awful. The rest of Asia, fortunately, was spared of the vicious tsunami. The vigilance and the Alerts were good. It warned people of what can happen. There's not much anyone can do anyway, but to have a mindset that it can happen, any time, to any one, makes a whole lot of difference.
Thanks for commenting my friends. Live fully and love without limits.
Kim, I know you understand how it feels to be vulnerable. And to question yourself sometimes if you have done enough.
*with should be without
ReplyDeleteDear CMB,
ReplyDeleteI would love to make that as an extension of my post.
Most eloquent. I have seen this quote somewhere, it's not mine: "Seeing death as the end of life
is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean."
Like I always say, it is an extremely difficult task to understand The Revelation with getting a good understanding of the Genesis.
Thank you for a most enlightening comment.
Wow. The final quote gave me goose bumps.
ReplyDeleteDear Psycho, Your post was profound, very deeply felt & passionately put forth.All I know is that no matter how different we are, every one of us is bound by some common force, that same force that brought them to life & will one day take them away from life.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I dont think anyone is insignificant, even a blade of grass is here for a purpose & your story as well as mine is interwoven with the history of the Universe, & each of us in our own way play a pivotal role in the history of evolution. I had written a post called "The Man Walked On" some time back to illustrate this thought. I believe that beyond all calamities....natural as well as man-made, beyong all chaos & madness, is a deep, fathomless thing called Love which binds the Universe together.
Any day I wake up is a good day. Just got to remember to wake up daily. And if I die before I wake. I pray the lord my soul to take.
ReplyDeleteHow's that for a pleasant thought?
Well said, my dear.
ReplyDelete-Barb the French Bean
I couldn't agree more!! And I'm glad someone finally said it. I realized this same thing that morning when I heard about the disaster on the news... and while I tried to go about my daily duties I couldn't help but feel this looming realization that life at any moment could end. Or the life as we know it now could end and morph into something we never could have imagined. I remember logging on to Facebook later on and saw all of the whiny status updates... "Wah I'm tired" or "Wah I hate traffic" or "Wah I can't wait til Friday". I wanted to send them a punch to the face, like, WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! Stop bitching about how tired you are and actually be grateful that you even had a morning to wake up to! Jesus... some people are so fucking ignorant and blind.
ReplyDeleteI agree Japan makes one pause...and yes, stupid shall never cease. LOL
ReplyDeleteHey girl, Imma trying to get some of my buddies from bloggin on a chat list, I find it easier than the forums. Let me know if you are interested and shoot me your email and I'll send you an invite. :)
ReplyDeleteNice XD No, seriously, I like it. Good point...
ReplyDelete~Stephanie
Dear JM, I can always count on you to see the goodness in humanity in spite and despite of. Your idea rekindles my faith in mankind.
ReplyDelete@Hansi - I still use that as a night time prayer. Serious.
@Barb - Thanks for stopping by.
@Kristen - I know it can be sad when the majority of people are clueless, and they fall on their knees when Lady Gaga sings:"BORN THIS WAY". If you ask me, it's the most idiotic cup out statement.
@DD - you've got mail!
@Stephanie - we are joined by one common thread, the only fairy tale I love since childhood is BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Its the only love story where true love is demonstrated as seeing from the heart. Notice that its the only Happily Every After where the hero is a beast albeit the lady loves him nonetheless.
Thank you again for making time to comment.
Stay safe y'all.
Fantastic post! And so true.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get a chance to read this post till now. Great - you know well how to find the wrods and express the way we keep going living our lives complaining about this and this and not looking around at others. Individuality is the plague of our Modern Socities - wanting more and more, always.
ReplyDeleteBut we are all on Earth for a purpose and even our small actions can do a lot, if we stay united and believe in a brighter tomorrow. If we start looking at others as our brothers and sisters and do for them what we'd like them do for us, change will happen.
All the disaters and difficult changes that happen in the world today should remind us of the importance to live fully each day and make this day a nice one for all the ones we love. As it won't last forever.
I gave you an award over at my blog! Come by and check it out!
ReplyDeletehttp://wishyoucouldblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/never-thought-id-see-day.html
i like the shots..hahaha. gonna share this on fb
ReplyDeletefrvi