Another funeral to attend. This will be my third in the last three years, all in the local chess community. When I see the outpouring of genuine love that family and friends have for the deceased, it once again gives me perspective on the true riches in life. We all knew him as “Sandy” at the club; I guess being paired to play against Alexander Hamilton would have raised eyebrows. He gave his time to one of my students on her college applications and she matriculated at UPENN. He will be missed.
He died unexpectedly and I knew the man. It’s just a personal reminder to not take my time for granted. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae and overlook the bigger things in life. A common thread can be found in seemingly random events. My post is just another irrelevant post to you and probably most people who read it. This is the backwater of ET. Feel free to ignore it.
Every single person on this planet takes their own life for granted when they fall asleep. They simply do not understand the miracle it is that they are alive in the first place. And EVERY single night, when they fall into slumber, they do not think of the good fortune of their own existence. They do not think of ANYTHING, because when you fall asleep, you do not THINK. And for the first time in ET history, I do not think I have a song for that. There has never been anything written that can equate that idea.
A lot of things. For one, my thoughts get organized and new connections are made that I sometimes become immediately aware of when I awake. A lot of aha’s have come to me after a good night’s sleep.
I was just thinking about death last week. Everyone dies.... Within the greater context, history, of humankind, mankind, and the history of the earth, and the universe....an individual life....is relatively very, very, very meaningless. When, and how, someone dies.....is such a meaningless incident within the greater context of everything. If an individual grain of sand...is burned up, oxidized, will anyone care....does that individual grain of sand...matter within the context of everything, I mean stop dwelling on the past. Think of the past....as a turd being flushed down the toilet. Don't give it a second thought, or don't devote so much of your mind, and time, on it. I don't mean to be insensitive, but just calling reality for what it is,