MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING____REVISITED

Several years ago I did a post with this title and then talked of some things that were of little consequence in the big picture to anyone except me. I'm going to revisit that post title with something important to no one but me again. But what else is a blog for except to communicate some personal stuff sometimes. Here's some of my personal stuff.

William Shakespeare wrote a comedy around 1600 a.d. [First performed in 1598-99]  He used a title with a meaning that has been debated for years. He entitled it Much Ado About Nothing. Some say, as did George Bernard Shaw, that Shakespeare used short, casual titles for his comedies as a marketing tool for devaluing them to the tastes of the low-brow portion of the general public. In other words, it was a money making tool to sell to the multitudes.

I'm not sure of Shakespeare's intention in using that title for this play but it has come to mean "a lot said about things of little consequence." That's the meaning I'm giving it for this particular post. "Much ado about nothing! I'm sure it may be nothing to some but it's my nothing and so I will make much ado about it.

I'm now nearly 72 years of age. [Will be as of July 19th 2012]  Honestly, I've had a sense of living on borrowed time for the past nearly thirty years. This has been since having triple by-pass surgery in 1986 and living through it when a sister, just older, a dad and his five brothers, my uncles, all died in their forties and fifties from the very thing for which I had surgery. It seemed to me back in 1986 that I was given an extension of life.

I do know, of course, that death for any Christian is an appointment thing. And I know that Jesus has to insert the key to 'unlock death' for any believer to die. [How this meshes with accidents and suicides I'll leave for getting some answers post-time in eternity.] Paul said as much in 1 Thess. 4:13 where he was addressing, "Those who are asleep [have died] "in Jesus," or as the Greek word 'dia' means, "Through the agency of Jesus." Paul is saying that death for a believer is like a lock for which only Jesus has the Key. He has to unlock death for a Christian or it won't come. When He does, it will. It's as simple as that. Father will explain how it all fits later I'm confident.

But from the human side, which is what I'm addressing here, I've had a sense of living on borrowed time since that long ago surgery because I am after all__human.

Add to that the fact that I've lived with the woman of my dreams for fifty-three years now and we've both begun to realize we're losing friends and family to death at an accelerated rate because of our age and are, consequently, more aware of our own mortality than ever before, and you have cause for my contemplation about death.

By the way, this girl of my dreams with whom I live, has a little bit of a strange quirk. She doesn't like surprises. She doesn't even like making decisions spontaneously. She likes to contemplate the consequences and weigh the options.  Me? I love things spontaneous. I love surprises. Take away my spontaneity and you will rob me of half the joy in my life. As I said...she's weird.  [I think anyone who isn't like me is a bit weird :)]

So, last Monday, Memorial day, while floating on our pool-chairs and talking, I asked her what was the first thing she would do if, say, I died on June 1st. I felt this might help to eliminate any pressured decisions were any to ever be needed. She postulated that I, in fact, was the one a bit weird. But we ended up talking about a list of things to do if one or the other of us were to die.

As you can imagine, a lot of OTHER things came to light as well.

Things like the fact that we both have personal issues with the typical memorial service of our day. Even with many so-called christian memorial services. You may agree with Mary about my weirdness [though she thinks much the same way] when you hear what I said about my wishes concerning a memorial service. I want Mary to be in charge of that service entirely. This is basically because she is the least pretentous person I know and knows me better than anyone else on this earth. Put together, that spells REAL. I will admit this might be a bit of a last ditch effort on my part at making all extreme Fundmentalists uncomfortable [a woman in charge?] with me in my death as they have been with me in my life. But that's a minor point in it all I assure you.

I also want no message at all by a preacher. I've nothing against preachers being one myself, I simply want our four kids to speak, if they will and can, and anyone else Mary chooses. The singing will feature some anniversary songs I've put on tape for Mary over the years which includes some fifties, some Merle Haggard love songs, Lee Greenwood love songs, [Mary swoons at his voice] and my favorite gospel and praise choruses. I've used music of every genre to celebrate my life in Christ and being in love with that dream woman, so why not at my home going!!

You can see as we talked we were reminded anew that, while we would grieve and hurt were the other to die, we would not be paralyzed by grief because our marriage is NOT the source of life for us. He is that. Our marriage has been a great RESOURCE for making life better, but we both agree He is our source. So we will draw from Him any strength needed, depending on which one goes first, and celebrate the one gone in music, words, and with people. A reception will follow for all to enjoy the moment and one another because the burial will have already been accompished that morning with the family only present.

As I write this I'm impressed again with what we've decided. I like it. It's us! But it will have to wait. That key has not been inserted into the lock of death__for me or her__as of yet, so we'll just put our plans in a folder for later, much later perhaps, who knows.

I'm aware some people think death is a not a thing to joke about. But I tend to lighten moments that are naturally heavy__with humor. It may be an escape avenue or a pop off valve, but that's part of the "weird" in me.

Besides, I'm not sure but what it is good for us to be reminded that life is a journey through stages and included in that journey is this stage called death. So like Shakespeare, I want to give some comedy to that stage. When my death comes, and it will if Jesus tarries, I want it to be a smiling, laughing, shouting time to some degree. Much ado about nothing. I'll sure be celebrating THERE, so why should those who are HERE not celebrate with me?

Paul B.