(no subject)

[avevale_intelligencer]

filkertom linked to a cartoon the other day which purported to provide “a little perspective.” It showed, on one side, a man looking at a bill and thinking “Bankrupt. Life is over.” And on the other it showed a grave of an unnamed victim of the tsunami disaster: “Someone Beloved.”

While seeing the point, I couldn’t help but think that a follow-up, of slightly greater length, might not be inappropriate. On the one side, you could have subsequent events: the court judgment, the towing-away of the car, the angry departure of the wife and children, the repossession of the home, the refusal of welfare benefits, the begging on the street, the bottle in the brown paper bag, the body on the park bench. And on the other, you could have the grave, over and over again, perhaps with a nice tree growing out of it.

I’m not a great fan of death, overall, as most of my friends will know. I don’t tend to think of it as a gateway to a new level of existence, or an awfully big adventure, or a blessing in any way. But there are worse things, and we made most of them.

Comments

[stevieannie.livejournal.com]

As a close relative of a bankruptee (my wonderful pa-in-law, Super-Nev), I've got to say that the reality of it is almost always not as bad as one expects. We were all terrified when it loomed, and flapped around like dying fish to try and do *anything* to stave it off. When it finally happened, it was almost a relief.

Sure, it made life really difficult for a couple of years, and still occasionally rears its head when you think it has gone away, but it was eminently survivable with a bit of common sense and a strong family relationship.

When things were at their worst in Gravesend, Tim and I felt we faced a choice - bankruptcy or losing our marriage. We chose bankruptcy as we knew we could survive that, but we didn't want to contemplate life without each other. We were lucky, we managed to turn it around by sheer force of will (and I credit some help to the Big Guy upstairs too).

I am now not scared at all of bankruptcy. I know I can survive, and that I have family and friends who will see me through. I'm not really scared by being dead (the actual *dying* part isn't thrilling me - not big with the fatal pain and horridness) as my religion helps with that part. What scares *me* is being without my partner and children. That's why I gave and continue to give to the Tsunami relief - the loss of love is the hardest to bear.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

A lot of the reason I linked to it, Zander, was a very simple premise: Not all, but many of the problems we have in our lives are related to things which have a fairly straightforward solution. It may not be the easiest solution to nail down, and several smaller problems of the same flavor may look like one huge problem. But, as a for-instance, pretty much everything not-good in my life right now is based on two things: my weight and my unemployment. I am trying to exercise and eat less to cut down on the weight, and I am trying to find alternate sources of income to get around the lack of job.

A much bigger problem was paying for health care, which is hideously expensive here. But I got into a county program for low-income folks, and voila! Problem solved, or at least solved enough. That was a weight off my mind, and made everything else more possible.

The one thing, good or ill, about death is that you have run out of chances. So it seems very good to me to make as many chances as you can while alive, and to enjoy whatever you are able to, and to do your best not to hurt anyone along the way, because what you are left with at your death is how you will be remembered.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't argue with any of that.:)