When I announced that I was planning to publish a personal blog my son-in-law asked why make it public. I suppose in a world measured by “clicks” it is somewhat arrogant to assume that I have anything to say which will warrant a healthy click count. I’ve been critical at times of those who seek to get “famous” on the Internet, that “15 minutes of fame”; the assumption is that one has anything really that important to say. I think this is a fair question for public Internet figure.
I view my current writing a cathartic: “How do I know what I’m saying until I say it?” Thus I write to clarify who and what I am; I don’t make assumptions about me. As a human being I’m cognizant that life is a journey which we all experience but don’t necessarily share.
I read the obituaries most days. Quite often when I tell others about my predilection for obituaries and cemeteries, I get a quick nervous retort about whether I’m looking to find my name. Obituaries and tombstones give lots of information about a person’s life or rather how those who are left view him/her or the death process. I look to see how the obituary is written, how much did the person know about the deceased life, who and how are the survivors listed, age, and cause of death. I’m always saddened by short lives or obvious painful lives and deaths.
We live in a world that seeks immortality and the medical challenge seems to be extending life at all costs; at this juncture I’m more concerned with how I live not how long. I have no children to morn me or to wipe the drool from my lips when I become feeble and I don’t expect to have a family surrounding me with love as I play my last act. Nor do I expect a building or a hospital wing to be built in my name. My lasting legacy will be in Cyber space with this blog and the words I chant. Yes I’m retired and on-line!!
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