I'm
dying. But so are you.
Déjà
vu?
It's not an original thought, but I admit I used the same words in
Various
Thoughts XIII
on August 3rd,
2017. Then it was theoretical and intellectual, but now it's for
real. If it hasn't happened already. Consequently this will be my
last post. If I have anything to say in the meantime I'll slip it in
between essays already scheduled for publication.
First of all, I've been very lucky. (My
wife, too. We've shared in our good fortune.) I have cancer. Death
is inevitable and isn't worth wasting space on. But we've had
(that's me and Phyllis) over fifty-seven years together, and they've
been good years. We have three children, thirteen grandchildren, and
two great grandchildren so far, and all have been good kids. No
drugs or other of the evil signs of the times. All have remained
faithful to their faith, and their propects look good. They love our
people and they love Israel. I couldn't be more proud.
So
what prompts this message? I've been losing weight despite attempts
not to do so, and having some pains and discomforts I can't explain.
Perhaps it's nothing but I doubt it. I'll report the findings to my
doctor and get her take on the situation. And undergo the tests and
whatever therapies she proposes.
In
the interim, however, I've decided to record some thoughts I have.
If you've been reading this blog, none of them will surprise you, but
I wanted to jot them down anyway. They're about me rather than the
disease and will explain a little more about who I am. As for my
style in this essay, it's likely to be erratic. I'll record my ideas
as I think of them, and that means they may not be in any logical
sequence.
I
live in a blue state but I'm purple – disappointed in the “new
liberalism” (populism and antisemitism) of the left and attracted
by some of the policy positions of the conservatives. I agree with
concerns over the needy, in a religious and human way (and based on
my upbringing in a liberal household), but I don't think protests and
throwing money at them is the answer. On the other hand I support a
more conservative view of our economy and national strength, but
oppose our thumbing our nose at the rest of the world. I support
Israel which has become the convenient target of antisemites and of
the left in general – especially out of our country – even if I
don't support all of Israel's policies. But I should add that I
don't support all of our country's policies either and I consider
myself a patriotic American.
Like
most conservatives I'm old-fashioned. My clothing is stodgy and
square. It's not unusual for me to be one of the few who wears a
suit and tie to Shabbat and Yom Tov
services. I relate better to the values and customs of my youth
(including the music) than what is currently in style. I know the
same can be said of every generation that preceded mine, and that
this will always be the case, but I cannot help feeling that we're
moving too fast – especially in our tendency to declare all
dissidents to be right, and those who consider themselves oppressed
to be declared protected minorities. I regret our inclination to
protest whatever we don't like – and that's a very recent
development – rather than to try to work with those we oppose.
Ideology has taken precedence over common sense.
I'm
Jewish, which you may have deduced from what I've written here, or
learned from previous essays where it has been expressed
unequivocally. I try to follow the precepts handed down to us by our
sages. It's what I do, and I'll continue doing it as long as I can.
I'm a creature of habit, and Judaism provides habits which resonate
with me – habits I love. But I'm a little troubled that most, if
not all, of the laws were written by humans. Even those attributed
to G-d have been recorded – if not formulated – by humans. They
may have been inspired, brilliant, and wise, but they were human and
passed down to us, often with commentary, by people like us. No
matter. What they say makes sense and seems fair. Admittedly we
judge them using human not divine standards, but that's all we have.
They tell us there is a G-d but it's not something we can confirm
independently. It still doesn't matter. And, of course, I have no
concept of death. The idea of an afterlife seems to have come about
as a reaction to Christianity. That doesn't make it wrong but it's
hard to ignore the fact that it wasn't mentioned in our early
teachings.
I'd
like to believe that there is such an afterlife and that it is a
continuation of this one, similar to what is taught children. But I
suspect that if there is such an existence it would totally unrelated
to the one we are living now and we'll have no knowledge of this one
or the people we knew. We have no knowledge of what happened before
we were born and there is no reason to believe that we'll remember
this life after it ends. But who knows. Human thought and logic
don't apply. (FOR MY FAMILY: There's a lot more on my views of the
subject on the Asus and on my flash drives. See Thoughts.doc. It's
in “documents” on the open Office menu for drive C, and in “The
Imperious Loudmouth” menus on the flash drives.)
I
live (or lived, as the case may be) in Mount Vernon, New York, and in
the same house for over forty-seven years (as of the time of this
writing). I decided long ago that I'll never move because that would
entail cleaning out the attic, and I'm not prepared to do so. It
will be my children's problem and give them the chance to find all my
old secrets, as well as some items that may have accumulated value
over the years. It will also give them the opportunity to bump their
heads. But they'll be careful. They were reared in this house and
know their way around, so they know where to look and what to look
for.
I
have an agreement with Phyllis (full disclosure: it's not really an
agreement but a demand I've made) that I'll die first. She keeps the
books (she's far more organized that I) and I'd never be able to
manage our affairs without her. I suspect it will be far easier to
live without me than without her, although I know that a period of
mourning will delay any immediate consideration of the issue.
Sadly,
Phyllis is ill as well. Diagnosed much more recently than I, but ill
nonetheless. Hence there will be a race. We both want it to be a
marathon rather than a sprint, but that is out of our hands. To the
loser belong the problems.
I
probably should express some of my wishes for my family and for the
world. None will be either original or unexpected, but all of them
are deeply felt. For my beloved wife I wish happiness and a long
life. I trust her therapy will be helpful in this regard and keep
her symptoms and her disease from progressing. She's dedicated
herself to working for the community and to the lives of others, and
deserves the best for herself as well. I hope that she'll have the
companionship that will make her happy. I know she has many friends
through her Medicare counseling position and from members of the
community. And, of course, the love and concern that she'll receive
from our family.
As
for that family, I wish unity. And mutual love and concern. I love
them all. I hope they (and the rest of those who can do so for that
matter) make an effort to care for the needy and afflicted wherever
they may be. I mentioned earlier that they were all good and we were
lucky. I pray that our luck will continue. Our grandchildren, at
least some of them, are working out their plans for life and I wish
them well. And all of my children and grandchildren have shown their
attachment to the Jewish People and to the land of Israel. I
couldn't be more pleased.
My
wishes for the world are equally grandiose – though I am less
sanguine about their accomplishment. I fear that my wish for world
peace will never reach fruition. There are always power-seeking and
self-absorbed people who will seek to enrich themselves at the
expense of others. For them the power they feel while ruling a
country and making it victorious over others will always exist, and
it will prevent the compromises and accommodations necessary for us
all to lay down our swords and join hands.
I
am also concerned that prejudices will remain despite every effort to
eliminate them. Antisemitism has been around for millennia and is
achieving new strength as large nations and brainwashed people search
for a convenient scapegoat to which they can point. Nations do it to
distract their constituents from the real problems they face.
Individuals pass their biases on to their children – biases they
were taught by their parents and their leaders.
What
I really want will take a miracle. It is that people learn to work
together; that they learn to compromise for everyone's good; that
they accept the idea that they cannot have everything they want but
can contribute to the good of others. I believe in absolutes – at
least some absolutes. I believe that in the DNA of all humans are
instructions about how to live with our neighbors. After all, rules
about human interactions are common to all of us. And they tend to
be very similar. It's a human instinct. There are some outliers,
with damaged DNA, who don't accept those absolutes, but most of us
do. Perhaps evolution will ultimately rid humanity of its morally
damaged. That is my hope and my wish.
My
consolations are that I believe there is a G-d and that, from time to
time, He authors miracles.
PS. Irrespective of what I've said, check next week to see if there are more posts.
PS. Irrespective of what I've said, check next week to see if there are more posts.
Enjoy!
August 7, 2017