conversion

[jeffcobb]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

@jeffcobb

PS. "Rest in peace"? How else do you rest? If you toss and turn it isn't really resting, is it?

Well I guess it goes into your idea of an afterlife and more to the point, visibility of the current life after you are gone. Fear ye not, this is not a religion thing. Basically that sentiment stems from "I hope they go to heaven (peaceful) and not to hell (not so peaceful). From another perspective, if someone worked to create something that pretty much defined who they are/were and then after they are gone the work gets coopted by greedy relatives or whatever, the assumption is they are not resting peacefully (assuming the poor departed soul is still observing what became of their work after they died). This I think is the genesis of the phrase "turning over in their grave", another act I would not construe as "peaceful".

My statements were purely out of respect. When I was younger the passing of someone I knew seemed like a lost battlefield comrade. Now however it feels more like people joining another club before you do. Well maybe not a club but you get the idea I hope. It does however serve as a motivator to do things that you would want to be remembered for whereas in my youth it was more like "hope I don't get caught!"

[Kumabjorn]

No need to take it serious, I was in my George Carlin mood. Questioning every trite cliché out there that we just say without really thinking about what we say.

[jeffcobb]

Understood. I guess I was just in a different space since at the moment I wrote that reply, my wife was off to another funeral. Its that point where you realize there are fewer days ahead than there are behind...but I did not intend to be morose.

[Kumabjorn]

Interesting how differently we react. When I buried my mother a few years ago I too came to the realization that my remaining time was limited in a very real sense. My decision was to stop taking crap from people, listening to the blabbering about their uninteresting lives (I really don't give a $h!t about your broken coffee maker!), the time I have left is way too important to me to spend it on anything else but the things I decide to spend it on. So I've turned into a major bitch, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

[jeffcobb]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Interesting how differently we react. When I buried my mother a few years ago I too came to the realization that my remaining time was limited in a very real sense. My decision was to stop taking crap from people, listening to the blabbering about their uninteresting lives (I really don't give a $h!t about your broken coffee maker!), the time I have left is way too important to me to spend it on anything else but the things I decide to spend it on. So I've turned into a major bitch, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

Ironically that is a decision I came to years ago, when I thought I had nothing (and therefore nothing to lose). Now I do have something (someone incredible) and I don't want to lose a single minute. There's more but this isn't the forum.

[GhostHawk]

Funny Kumabjorn, I'm very close friends with a guy who did 2 tours in Nam, in the delta.

Laid back California guy, motor head (car & bike racing) now he's the #2 park ranger at Leguna Seca Racepark.

After he got back from those 2 tours in Nam he looked around. Everywhere he saw vets there were bitter, loney, unhappy. He decided that he'd seen Hell, and Hell couldn't hold him. So since he'd seen the worst that life could throw at him he decided he wasn't going to worry about anything else.

Granted he's got a bit of that laid back California surf bum attitude going on.
But in 12 years of knowing him on a daily and weekly basis. I've never seen or heard of him getting angry, saying a harsh word to anyone, getting down, frustrated, or depressed.

He's a living example of how when life hands you lemons you make Lemonade and throw a party to share the wealth. Ya ya!

Rock on Brother T