Good Morning: After a weekend of ups and downs I have so much on my mind to express. So if you are only looking for cartoons, or interesting captions and sayings you might as well exit this post ASAP. But if you wish to read what so many of us are now experiencing get a snack, cup of tea or coffee, and maybe what I am posting will make you look at some things a bit differently or in ways you have not looked at them in the past. For some strange reason death continues to be on my mind the past few years and especially the past few months. Not sure why but it sure is something I think about much more than I did when I was a younger man. I even remember a course I took as a college undergrad called Death and Dyeing that we all feared would give us nightmares only to later understand its only something that every single person would experience either through the passing of those they know or them passing themselves. Wow, who thinks like this I always said. In fact I could not understand folks purchasing cemetery plots, special order caskets, and arranging funerals for themselves far in advance of the time they would be sick or close to dyeing. Who does that I often wondered? In fact I believe the main reason people do not have living wills is the thought of dyeing is something they do not wish to think about. Call me weird, call me crazy, but pre planning death celebrations including burial real-estate is something that just seems un-usual,. But as I get older I now see that it is something as necessary as life insurance or at the least burial insurance. In the next 10 years I am sure we will see a huge movement into the purchase of burial insurance as opposed to life insurance. This might be partially a result of more and more companies and organizations cutting back or eliminating benefit packages and people wishing to cover burial costs. Than there are those who are determined to spend every dime they have minus the exact cost of a funeral. I have one female friend who has at least a million in the bank who swears she has in her will to cover the funeral costs and than throw a huge celebration with the rest for thousands of people. She feels her kids now have the tools to survive and succeed. Amazing! This brings me full circle back to why am I thinking so much about death? I guess death and death related activities including funerals, memorials, etc. increase as we get older. It really makes sense since as we get older we tend to know more people, and as we get older health issues become major concerns often leading to a departure from the planet. Its natural to have more friends die naturally after 50 than between 1 and 40 years old. Of course in some neighborhoods crime related deaths with younger folks is at a high number. But for the most part we tend to need black suits much more for funerals after age 50 than that special party at the club. So this death thing has been so on my mind that it was becoming scary mentally to me. Was something about to happen? Do I need to change even more and reach out to many I have not communicated with in years? Than I got a call from a good guy named John who I met while working at Lehman College in the Bronx as a 24 year old Cooperative Education Counselor. Boy I thought I was somebody working at a college lol. More on that another day! Well, it seems John was calling me to tell me a WONDERFUL LADY I was very close to years back had died from cancer. What a lLADY with a capital L she was! Entrepreneur, smart, intelligent, caring, personable, smart, gorgeous, great personality, stylish, and much more. We all knew she was diagnosed with cancer years back and when I had an opportunity to have lunch with her a year or so ago she told me she was going to do the natural treatment approach. Talked to her about a month ago and she asked if I was doing my walking and I of course said I was but really was not. She told me about some great walking areas near her Englewood NJ home. Unfortunately I will not be able to walk with her till hopefully I see her in Heaven in the hopefully very distant future. Rest in Peace Margo Johnson, you certainly will be missed because you were and still are, just a wonderful, loving, and caring person adored by many. Margos passing is a hard one that makes me again wonder why good people leave us so early. But I guess God has a new assignment for her and she most likely is already on the job cancer and sickness free. In fact she will never again even have to deal with sickness. I would bet she will be at the Concert in Heaven watching all the great ones on one stage while looking forward to attending the workshops with all the great people who made a difference on Earth. The joint Malcolm X and MLK forum should be spectacular! Death and Dyeing still remains something we do not talk much about. But one thing for certain is its an experience everyone will go through in various ways. No way around it, no way to stop it, nothing we can do to change history though we can do a better job taking care of ourselves health wise. In the meantime I again say to anyone who listens that its important to enjoy your time on the planet in ways you decide to enjoy. Find time to attend a great church you always wanted to visit. Go to a movie, a broadway show, travel. visit LA, NY, Chicago, Mississippi, go to Disney Land even if you do not take kids, go to the top of the Empire State Building, re-conect with friends from the past, eat at Peter Lugers at least one time, take that college course you always wanted to take even though you are a Doctor. and yes do not be against hitting the club ON OCCASION to dance a little bit. In conclusion I need to say sometimes the end is actually a new beginning but its also important to leave the planet knowing you did for others and made a difference in lives in your own way. Or have you? For me, I will go to Englewood NJ one day during the week to actually find those walking trails and as I walk I hope I can get a sign from Margo telling me she is doing just fine up in Heaven!
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 15:39:48 +0000
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