They say man is the only animal to know it is mortal. I don't know about that, first because we aren't as smart as we think we are, and, second, have you seen those videos of crows doing all kinds of things birds shouldn't be doing. Hell, I read just this week a guy started feeding them french fries from McDonald's and they started bringing him coins. Yeah, right now he has made a profit of 39 cents feeding crows. And what about those elephants that know they are sick and dying so they just wander off to die in private?
Ever since we have been able to think, either as a six year old or fifty, we know that our time here is measured. Religions have been created to assure us that this party will continue somewhere else so keep on giving money. Philosophers have opined (I love that word, it's so earthy) on how we think about all things life - and death. For the average Joe death is something that happens at some time but never seems really close. We treat our own deaths like we regard mealy bugs in our Bisquick - doesn't happen often enough to worry about, and we can always get a new box. It will happen some day but its far off and, heck, why let a little death get in the way of life.
I recall my first brush with death. When I was eight years old our next door neighbor, Roy, died. Me and the Wombie were ceremoniously ushered over to his house next day to see him. He was lying on his bed in a suit. Eight year-olds don't get it. They can't. I'm a lot older now and I'm still not sure I get it.
There is a lot of talk now about "following the science." Science tells us at death we cease functioning and the body begins a sequence of events to return to the star dust from whence we came. My favorite theologian, old Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, tells us we join the goodness which is floating around in space somewhere and we are part of a gigantic ex-human fellowship. Christianity explains we rise to heaven where we will live forever. Their explanation is a little clunky but they get there in the end. Hindus believe our previous acts, karma, determine where we live next through reincarnation. If you care a great guy, you live in a palace doing all the things you love to do. If you screw it up you return as a pig. That kind of thing. It's a little clunky, too, but they get there in the end.
Islam, Sikhs, Buddhists all have somewhat similar descriptions of the Hereafter. Yeah, clunky, but they get there in the end. With coronavirus it seems we are now having to confront death in terms of days instead of years or decades like we've become accustomed to doing. Instead of over there a long way off, it is now knocking on our doors. We are all like cancer patients who have been given a grim diagnosis and its time to get our affairs in order.
The reality is most of us will be fine. We need to take simple precautions for months yet and even then things may never be the same. We will make it. But we will always be traumatized by this time. We may never be able to push our mortality off to the side like we segregate our broccoli on a plate. It may always be just outside, waiting.
Life as we knew it three weeks ago will never return. Oh, there may be weddings and funerals with crowds of people, but somewhere in each of our heads a voice will whisper "six feet". Schools will ramp up on-line classes, elections will be held by mail, and shaking hands will never come back. We are the only animals who know our mortality. (Crows caw and elephants honk) We will make it, in spite of our governments and darker angels. Clunky, but we'll get there in the end.
Comments
Post a Comment