Friday October 7, 1983
30th Year Anniversary
It's not over til the Fat Lady sings. Well, it ain't over and she is not yet singing. That's right friends, we continue to endure and learn from this 30 year old drama. And, today is the 30th anniversary of the Big Event.
Some of my readers of course will not even know what I am talking about. Well, if you were alive three decades ago and were an acquaintance or a friend of mine then you undoubtedly know what I am talking about. In a nutshell, what the Big Event boils down to can be likened to an event occurring on a beautiful sunny day that somehow went dark in an instant - like the sky caved in and the world came to an abrupt end because it was hit with an out of control fireball from somewhere in space. Things just ended and they would never be the same.
Thirty years of pain and disruption would begin. Life would be questioned and all of the movement and thoughts and dreams of mankind would be put under the microscope. An interest in philosophy would develop. What could cause such a revolution or path of inquiry in the mind of an individual you might ask?
The answer of course is a single event on a Friday afternoon on a beautiful, sunny Fall day. Here is the link to the complete and original story if you have never read it:
Undoubtedly, there are those who have not had their lives transformed by a violent event such as occurred in mine. Others will have an inkling of what I am talking about, while others will know precisely what I am talking about - it would be the same thing as having your loved one's life snuffed out as a result of a freak traffic accident for example. Perhaps you are the fiance of that now dead woman and you are forced to endure the pain of such an event. My life is somewhat similar to such an occurrence, just to give you an idea. I am sure many others could provide similar, suitable examples.
You may recall that I wrote on my blog some years ago about a nun and her relationship with Jesus Christ. I have since deleted that post. Nuns marry Jesus you know and are beholding to Him and His ideas. The thing about Jesus and Christianity of course is that we are dealing with a fanciful situation - it is an imaginary love relationship. One just believes in Jesus and God because one wants to; nuns are committed and dedicated religious partners. That is a nun in nutshell of course. And, in many ways I was the same as a nun back in 1983. That's right friends, that is what we are really talking about. This would be the ideal, yet imaginary love affair of all time. But, like the nun who is in love with Jesus and his philosophy I was in love with my relationship as well. It is all very fine - and it is also very one-sided. Nobody is talking back to you and you are doing all of the loving. But, it is as real as anything can be. And, that is why I provide you with the example of the nun and her commitment to her God and husband.
There is nothing wrong in being in love with a fantasy if it works for you. And, I am suggesting to you that modern Christians and members of other faiths practice a form of imaginary love themselves. It seems to be something that humans do when they care and believe in something deeply. I wouldn't want to be the bearer of bad news for any Christian or Muslim for example - telling them in a forthright manner that their God does not exist. But, the fact is they wouldn't believe you anyway. It is kind of a built in denial. Good for them I suppose. The cop knocking on the door of a dedicated religious person in the middle of the night to inform someone about the death of his or her god would simply be wasting his time. But, for most of us the thought of the cop banging on the door to tell us about the death of a loved would be enough to turn our lives upside down. We would know exactly what he was talking about. Somebody's relationship has come to a horrible ending. The psychological implications of a devastating event would have been set in motion.
I have to tell you friends that there were some bad moments during the last 30 years. The questioning and the churning over of the events in my mind would be repeated over and over again. But, just how much pain does an individual have to endure before he figures the whole thing out - if he manages to figure things out, that is?
I do want to focus on the pain and suffering if I can because this really is a story brought about by psychological disappointment. And, I want to use my nun story as an example, if I may. And, I further hope that Sister Charlotte ( audio file below ) doesn't mind - if she is listening. There is an element of betrayal here that cannot be ignored. I don't think there is any greater pain in life than that suffered as a result of betrayal. A simple twist of fate resulting in great personal loss can be translated into a form of betrayal by those who want to do so. But, we know of the real life examples of betrayal as well, as identified in the life of Julius Caesar and Jesus Christ himself. Jesus of course is a much bigger man than me and could find the ways to forgive. But, then, he was a god and possessed of the greatest of qualities imaginable to man. To love something and to care for it is a wonderful human capability. But, as you know, sometimes love affairs with humans is one-sided and imaginary. And, all relationships with gods are one-sided things and imaginary. Furthermore, one does tend to forget about the risks when engaging in one sided love affairs as well. A few years ago I was researching on the net and came across a story about a nun. It was a horrific story of things gone badly wrong for a young woman in a convent. And, as fate would have it, this same story, but now with an audio file attached, has now surfaced again and is making its rounds on the Internet. When I listen to the Sister's tale below I do tend to think of my own life as it compares to that of the nun who is in love with Jesus:
Yes, dear friends life can be a challenging experience. And, maybe you really do have to get down to the nuts and bolts of it to see what it is composed of - in order to really appreciate it. Perhaps you have to endure a civil war or some similar event to know just how cruel the human being can be. Think of the young teenager being bullied by his or her peers. That is a real introduction to life in itself and cannot be ignored as a real human tragedy. Yes, pain and suffering is an integral part of the lives of millions of human beings even today. Maybe that is where your best philosophy comes from. The really religious types justify their faith as it relates to pain and suffering by saying it is just God's way of teaching. Really? What school did God go to? I'm not sure if Sister Charlotte was thinking about an education when she was getting her dose of human reality. But, she did hold her faith in the end. A very strong individual indeed. An act of betrayal or the experience of serious loss is a sure way to test your faith or come to grips with what the human existence can dole out. And, if you still believe or manage to survive in one piece after any great disappointment then maybe you have got life by the balls after all.
Have a nice day
Modified modestly on the afternoon of Saturday October 12, 2013
Have a nice day
Modified modestly on the afternoon of Saturday October 12, 2013