Thursday, April 29, 2004

Blog # 2

Expressive paper #1 The Future of Our Lives As I drove up into the driveway the realization of how tired I was overcame me, yet I knew that I needed to make dinner due to the fact that it was very close to dinnertime. The excitement filled within me as I started to conjure up the evening feast for everyone in the house to enjoy. An asparagus casserole was the first thing I decided on as well as chili and a yogurt fruit dish to top off the meal. While I continued on scheming my master plan for dinner with my creative juices flowing I heard the phone ring and decided to pick it up. The casserole was cooking and I could begin the chili when I was off the phone. This was what I thought anyway. It was Jennifer one of my closest friends who is watching my Pit Bull, Nira for a short period of time. Jennifer sounded a little down and I thought that she may have just come home from the doctor as I began questioning her about it. I quickly learned that the reason for the call was not her doctors' appointment at all instead it had to do with Nira. She told me that Nira died just a short time before she called and that I might want to come pay my last respects to my dog. As I got off the phone the tears swelled up in my eyes and streamed down my face as I began to go numb. It was at this point in time that I began to think about what life might be like after death and how my dog and I fit into this inevitable part of life. In Homer's The Odyssey there is a chapter on life after death giving a depiction of what life could be like after we die. Odysseus' mother tells Odysseus about the afterlife as she say to him, "this is just the way of mortals when we die. / Sinews no longer bind the flesh and bones together- / the fire in all it fury burns the body down to ashes/ once life slips from the white bones, and the spirit, / rustling, fitters away." Although this may give the reader a strong conviction of definitiveness in how the afterlife may be through this passage I am not certain that this is how it really is. The reality is that no one really knows until it happens to him/her if in fact a paradise truly exists. Yet I have my own beliefs in regards to death and what the afterlife is like after death. My belief system about death stems from my Native American heritage as well as my Anglo heritage. I feel that once death happens it is not the end of life just a different continuation of it in a form that may not be understood to those of us that still have breathe within us. I believe that once someone is buried that his/her burial site is sacred and should be treated with great respect. I also believe that because of this sacredness that once someone is buried they should not be unearthed as this disturbs the sacredness of the grave and the being that dwells within it. It is a taboo to disturb a grave and is a sign of disrespect. Also, I believe in funerals as this is a way to grieve and heal from the loss of a loved one. The only thing that I agree with about death in the chapter on life after death in The Odyssey is that once someone dies he/she still lives on and is able to interact among the dead as well as at times with the living. For example, I used to take care of a four year old child named Isaiah who had lung cancer. When he died his spirit came to my home and started playing hide and seek with me. His spirit scared me as I felt just like Odysseus when the dead surrounded him "hordes of them, thousands raising unearthly cries,/ and blanching terror gripped me - panicked now." This was proof enough for me to believe in an afterlife and have since had other experiences that lead me to believe that an afterlife exists. In the afterlife I believe that it is a place that is filled with happiness beyond our comprehensive belief of happiness. God tells us that his kingdom is a wonderful place. Also, the Great Spirit tells us that our spirits continue on as we remain connected with life after death. I believe in both. The afterlife is a place in which peace reigns a glorious face where people and creatures are treated with respect as they are shown equality through compassion. Also, I believe that when one dies he/she will once again see all of the people and creatures that have passed on before him/her. This is my consolation when someone in my life dies. Our friends, family, and pets wait for us in the afterlife which is part of what makes it a wonderful place. Lastly, I think that there are rules that one must follow yet those rules aren't necessarily the same rules that we follow on earth. I don't know why I think this yet something inside of me tells me this. I'm not sure what those rules may be but if I were to guess I think they would have to do with respect, love, and peace. This is what would happen in the world of life after death. I took the casserole out of the oven and called my mom to tell her the news. I then called my roommate to tell him about Nira. I left everything in the kitchen in a disarray as I did not know what to do with myself. This was my baby. She was my tepin (Nahuatl language from the Native American tribe I am a part of meaning little one). I drove up to Boulder Creek and reached Jennifer's house. Rufus came up to me and licked me as it became apparent that something was different. Nira was no longer there. She was not there to greet me and lick me in pure happiness. She was gone and already buried. As I walked over to her gravesite and shared the amazing stories of how she not only touched my life but the lives of everyone she came into contact with including the children that loved her I could not help but feel that her life had been too short. She just turned a year old approximately a week and a half ago. I had so many hopes in living with this dog until she reached a ripe old age and had a full life. Yet, I finally realized that she did have a full life as she was loved very well throughout her life. My only consolation in my loss is that one day soon or not so soon when I die I will see her again wagging her tail, hugging me while she licks my face in complete joy as we are reunited in paradise once again. Posted by Adriana Worley on 4/29/04; 4:01:17 PM from the dept. Discuss

Blog #1

I'm finally on! Posted by Adriana Worley on 4/29/04; 3:26:30 PM from the dept. Discuss