Pondering stuff for both OLD people as well as YOUNG "whipper-snappers!"
Is That All There Is?
Copyright: 9/30/02
Tom Hyland
Man . . . woman . . . birth . . . death . . . infinity . . . these were the opening words, spoken by the character, Doctor Zorba, as he scribbled the symbols for each on a blackboard at the beginning of each show on the Ben Casey series. If you will, pause for just a moment to consider the immensity of depth contained therein.
Man . . . Adam . . . The Bible . . . Genesis . . . God's creation of humankind.Woman . . . Eve . . .
God's gift to man, lest he should be lonely. Birth . . . God's gift to both man and woman, so that
procreation could continue the species of Homo Sapiens. Death . . . the completion of the cycle,
from cradle to grave - yet, what happens in between the two?
Life . . . that which each human being experiences during his or her respective cycle. It is the sum total of all of our experiences, our education, our training. It encompasses everything: happiness, sadness, good, evil, health, sickness, wealth, paucity, art, literature, music, nature (both flora and fauna), sunrise, sunset, nanoseconds, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years, decades . . . all documented by a methodology which we call history.
History . . . a record of mankind's successes and failures . . . this my friends, we are told, is the best teacher! If this be true , then why don't we really learn? Someone much wiser than I once said: "Repeating the same mistakes, over and over, and over, is the definition of insanity!" So, why do we allow ourselves to get wrapped up so tightly in our own little worlds, that we fail to enjoy and appreciate that which is most precious and critical to us?
Time . . . It marches on, with or without us! The Earth, moon, stars, universe . . . they need us not! Not unlike ants, or pismires, laboring diligently to and fro upon an anthill, mankind's imprint thereon is ultimately - insignificant! Perhaps only micro-chips of silicon in the Hourglass of the Sands of Time?
Carpe Diem! . . . Seize the day! Take time to smell the roses! Life is too short - eat dessert first!
That, my friends, is the best philosophy ever propounded by anyone! Don't wait until it is too late! Smile . . . laugh . . . love . . . sing . . . dance . . . hug . . . kiss . . . enjoy . . . for none of us knows what tomorrow may bring! Let your family and friends know beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are loved by you . . . NOW!
Should the sun rise tomorrow, but you don't . . . what remembrance or legacy will you have left for your loved ones? "Oh, he/she was a great guy/gal; a hard worker, a good provider, a stressed- out, dedicated, sorry-I'm-too-busy-workaholic, who shortened his/her life span out of sheer stupidity!" OUCH !!!
As a corollary, what if you do rise in the morning, but they don't? Will you be remorseful for not telling them that you loved them? Or not buying those expensive flowers? Or not making that phone call? Or not sending that greeting card? Or even email? SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
Infinity . . . ad infinitum, that which continues on, forever and ever, "Til the End of Time," the real continuity of the cycle, no matter who is, or is not present on the face of this Great Blue Marble! Well, there are many who believe in Spirits, or in re-incarnation, or the Soul which never dies . . . may be? Maybe not!
So, why not do it RIGHT - the first time around? What you have right now is the Present - use it or lose it! Is That All There Is? This title was "borrowed" from an old Peggy Lee hit. Although
I have no idea who wrote the lyrics, they were quite powerful! Another one of her even bigger hits was: "Fever!" "Sun lights up the daytime, moon lights up the night. I light up when you call my name, ‘cause I know you're gonna' treat me right!"Again, like many many Love songs and Blues songs, a great deal of truth may be found therein. Why not garner some wisdom from such
"pearls" and thereby avoid the aforementioned insanity of error repetition?
"Ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee!" Methinks John Donne had something there! So, my friends, "A word to the wise should be sufficient." Live each and every day as if it were your last - it MIGHT BE!
OOPS! Another corollary just popped into my feeble mind! Remember that "stress" I mentioned earlier? Many years ago, I tried to teach my two wonderful children another little lesson about life. ANGER ... Hatred ... if held inside, these negative faults will destroy you like a cancer,
eating away the very foundations of the wonderful joy and love that should be there. And guess what, Pilgrim? The person or thing that is the object of these negatives, is out and about, having a grand old time - because they normally either don't know about it - or could care less! DUH !
Is That All There Is?
