Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown?
Jan. 17th, 2005 10:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloI've got a birthday coming up. It's not a round figure one, so I'm not making a deal of fuss. Actually, even if it was a round figure one I'd want to keep things low-key. Once you're past 50 the only birthday that's worth jumping up and down about is your 100th.
I used to take my body for granted. Now I'm acutely aware of its frailty.
And its unreality.
So what is it? A column of water stiffened with carbon and calcium and other elements. Or, as Webster put it, "a little crudded milk, fantastical puff-paste."
It ain't me.
(Babe)
It's this thing I'm using while I work my passage through this heavy dimension. It's like a space suit or a diving suit. If I'm lucky it has another 20 or 30 years wear in it.
We'll see. But every birthday brings it closer to systems failure and the awfully big adventure.
Detachment, that's the thing to be working at when you get past 50. I like it here, but I'm hoping they won't have to pry my fingers loose at the end.
I had a flying dream last night. I said, "look, this is how it's done," spread my arms like dicky-bird wings and took off for the ceiling.
Can't do it now, but one day maybe.
Something to look forward to.
I used to take my body for granted. Now I'm acutely aware of its frailty.
And its unreality.
So what is it? A column of water stiffened with carbon and calcium and other elements. Or, as Webster put it, "a little crudded milk, fantastical puff-paste."
It ain't me.
(Babe)
It's this thing I'm using while I work my passage through this heavy dimension. It's like a space suit or a diving suit. If I'm lucky it has another 20 or 30 years wear in it.
We'll see. But every birthday brings it closer to systems failure and the awfully big adventure.
Detachment, that's the thing to be working at when you get past 50. I like it here, but I'm hoping they won't have to pry my fingers loose at the end.
I had a flying dream last night. I said, "look, this is how it's done," spread my arms like dicky-bird wings and took off for the ceiling.
Can't do it now, but one day maybe.
Something to look forward to.
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 12:41 am (UTC)I'm reminded of the movie A Matter of Life and Death. David Niven is hovering between the worlds and is approached by his spirit guide- who turns out to be an 18th century French fop.
It's striking that no-one comes back reporting having seen devils and hellfire. This suggests that the hellfire is strictly imaginary but the beings of light are in some sense real.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 04:47 am (UTC):) :)
There are negative experiences, but they are rare--I easily found this page by Googling negative near death experiences.
I think, as you said earlier, mental problems play a role.
Y'know, I've been thinking--there apparently is a hell, just as advertised. And, just as advertised, it includes a "separation from God"--although that's impossible, actually, since everything is God to begin with.
The system, I've been thinking, isn't infallable.
Therefore, insanity is the real hell, both here and There.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 05:54 am (UTC)But I guess it would be kinda implausible if all NDEs were positive.