At seventy-two, I am someone who, in the words of James McMurtry, has 'more in the mirror than there is up ahead.' I can read an actuarial table and have a phalanx of white-coated men and women with just about every combination of initials imaginable working to keep me above ground if not board.
In February, prepping for a spinal fusion surgery that was considered risky because of so many non-spinal health issues, I drafted a will. Because I have no friends, I asked my across-the-street neighbor and our postman to witness.
It's not notarized and it's probably not enforceable. Still, it gives those in my family some insight into what I was thinking about in terms of my worldly goods, even if it also leaves unanswered the why portion of the question.
I'm re-reading Joseph Heller's Closing Time always referred to as 'the sequel to Catch-22' (the greatest book ever written in any language, and yes, Bible, I'm looking at you) and working had to not be morose even as the pages to read dwindle down (I know how it ends and still hate it, but read it anyway. Kind of like life I guess).
Parallel to that, I encountered this article on 'death cleaning.'
Admittedly, it's NOT the cheeriest of reads but a good one, nevertheless. I strongly recommend some wit and wisdom from George Carlin to help provide perspective before your day, to say nothing of yourself, gets any older.
-bill kenny
No comments:
Post a Comment