Good Thinkers and Tinkers

I like a few modern thinkers, but not many. I liked Christopher Hitchens because he was a great and eloquent Atheist, especially when he had had a few drinks, even though I do believe in a very personal God, myself. I do. I just do because I choose to, even though it makes no sense at all. My life doesn't need to make sense. that is not why I am here.
Christopher was a brilliant light of 'passionate reason' and you don't get that kind of person in 7 billion once in maybe 5 hundred years on this world. I miss him.
He went on from being a devout Atheist to being a devout Contrarian, and I felt sad for that change...but still I respected that what his mind and heart chose was totally up to him...as it is with us all.
I joined the Church of Reason for some time after I heard him speak. I wish he was still around, but, alas, he is very dead now. Extinguished. Such is life.
After him, really, for me, there was only the Reformed Church of Spongebob Squarepants, that held any allure. I must admit that the notion of a belief system that will not accept your money is a pretty damn good one...and the Reformed Church of Spongebob Squarepants does indeed set forth this Primary Condition in its Doctrine...and I just wish all Churches did. I hope they all will, one day.
As we have all done, since the Dawn of Time, or at 5am on a Tuesday morning, instead of putting one's head in the oven, we all simply believe what we prefer, and why not believe some good things? Why not believe in the capacity of people to think for themselves and work out what they prefer? Isn't this the base of all belief, in the self, in others, and in the gods? There will be a time when sticking one's head in the oven does make sense, if we are lucky to have the choice and take it wisely, but before then, well, here we are...and some of life is pretty good as far as I know. I've noticed that the longer I live, the better life gets...and there is a scientific equation for this...childhood is basically happy, as you progress through teens and adulthood, its pretty unhappy, but when you get older, its is okay, and quite happy again. That's the Science of human life. this is not rocket-science or rocket-surgery, it's just how life is for most people who get there.
As for a good death, well, there is no such thing. This is one of the great myths of our time...but that's not important. Death only takes a few minutes. You just breathe out and don't breathe in again. That's not rocket science either, and its all as natural as it has always been.
If I had to send love to anyone dead, apart from folk I love as kin, then I would send it to Christopher, for being so passionate about the Mind, and way back 500 years to my hero, Michel de Montaigne, for being so passionate about Being. Well done! Love to you both from way over here in time. You 'done us' and yourselves so very well with all the love of your hearts and minds, and in your wondrous word-smithing craft. Fine bhoys both, and bright as buttons, to be sure, by any reckoning of the lot of us.

I was enjoying waxing poetically and philosophically, just then as I like to do from time to time, and then I got the fucking gas bill. I can't even afford to stick my head in the oven now. bastards.

Poem

Poem

The soft moaning

of the girl

is that pain

or just the world?

Is there light

and is there shade

and who is who

for what is paid?

Is there darkness

is there fright

or do the meanings

make it right?

Shall we sit

awhile and blink

and let the light

absorb the ink.

On we live

from this to that

with prophets who

absorb the fat.

Shall we find

some way of knowing

beyond the moment's

burden flowing?

Tis not me

who knows a thing

a suit and tie

and wedding ring.

Shall we sit awhile

and think

and let the light

absorb the ink?

We were born

and so we live

and take what is

what is to give.

I recall my favourite middle-aged physical fitness bicycle event was putting the padded lycra pants on backwards and just walking around with what looked like a massive erection for hours. Didn't actually get on the bike that day. That was probably a good thing, for both me, and for the world, really.

Are you going to do what has never been done? Well, I would think that would be highly unlikely. Are you going to say what has never been said? Well, every now and then, yes I will. I can do that, but not all the time. I'm busy. I started off as me and I expect to end as me. I kind of think the rest of this world is kind of advertising for profit, really. It isn't the kind of world I would have designed, that's for sure, but still, it has its fascinating eccentrics from time to time...and if you can stand the self important people wearing nice suits strutting about, spouting innovation and transcendence, well, you can put up with a lot of shit that comes along in the real world...and you can stand it because you know it is passing away before it ever comes to being...because this is the nature of existence. Everyone with half a brain has known this for at least 500 years, if they can read.

I was thinking about the Consulting job I had, and resigned from, just recently. It as the kind of job anyone 30, 40 or 50 would love, but at 63, I couldn't love it, I couldn't find the meaning I would have found in it some time ago, so I had to leave that. I have had enough of 'career' for this life time, altogether. I am far more interested in just having some fun at work and then being at home. The money is the same. Money is a bit like oxygen, you need some to breathe, but you don't need it all. Hardly any people in this real world ever got rich from working ...and the few who did never seemed to grow much of a brain or a sense of humour anyway.

My odd life, specialising in end of life pain control for the dying of us, for quite a few decades, and then later, in mental health, looking after the needs of the worried well, is an interesting combination...in that the worried well of the 21st century with all their problems of anorexia, addiction, PTSD, multi-polarity, all the absolutely unsolvable mood disorders etc etc, only THINK they are dying...and pretty well all of them will continue thinking that for many decades long after I'm dead. i work from an interesting and kind of benign perspective. I try not to go to work, really, as often as I need to, financially...but I still do kind of have to go to work...and so I do contribute to the well being of the world even though I'd kind of prefer not to.