Monday Morning
A friend’s email was a nice surprise to greet me upon my arrival to work this morning.
Morgan's connection with the SPCA and Marine Mammal Center’s rescue services and personnel last week was really cool. It was exciting watching her interactions. She's already just been biding her time until she can be a junior guide at the Aquarium. And she's too young to volunteer for these guys, either, but she's not too young to keep her eye out and do what she can in the world. I am fortunate; both of my children have developed into staunch environmentalists. Mikaël and I had the most interesting IM conversation on the topic this weekend. He is convinced that, by 2012, some environmental cataclysm will cause "the end of the world as we know it." I told him that that isn't necessarily so terrible, for the planet and for life forms as a whole. He actually thinks that the changes in question will be resultant of something that he thinks will happen in 2012. 2012 is the key date for him, as he says that Nostradamus, the Bible Code, and the Mayan writings all point to 2012. I don't know about some of what he thinks, but the basic premise is interesting. We also talked about the influence of a possible pandemic, for example, of bird flu.
I personally have come to believe, between conversations, reading, and reflection, that pandemics are nature's way. And, while I am grateful to have modern medical care, I think that there is something inherently wrong with it. I am hesitating even as type those words because my perspective is little more than a feeling or impression in that I am not sure how to translate my uneasiness with medicine into words that make logical sense for modern western man. I'll try to explain it better, later.
I think that I am trying to strike a balance, at least in my own mind, as far as nature and medicine are concerned. I know that I don't want to just lie down and die. Not yet. But I also know that there will come a time when that is right. I am glad that the medical science existed to cure me of the illnesses I had in the 1990s, not to mention the terrible pain I was in, and all the time... And I was happy that they could deal with my mother's breast cancer and my father's skin cancer.
But, when my Mom had ALS, at first it was alright, when the medical care she received helped her function and feel better. But, once she couldn't walk, talk, swallow, etc., she was nothing but a brain and fingers - she could communicate via typing, and her mind was fully functional, but even she was done with her life, satisfied with her experience, and wanting to let go. Her husband didn't want to let her. He wasn't ready. In the weeks before she died, she told me that she just wanted it all to be done with, which is why she chose not to get a respirator like her husband wanted her to do. She had become a Catholic. She and I had had a number of discussions about spirituality, the fundamental nature of human existence, that type of light-hearted stuff... She had had visions in church, that Jesus on the crucifix was alive and beckoning to her. She wanted an audience with Pope John Paul II, who had passed away by then. She had righted the wrongs she had done in her life, and made peace with almost everyone she had had trouble with. She was tired. She was trapped in her body. She wanted out. And she was afraid that her husband and the doctors would take action to keep her alive against her will, and against nature's will. Fortunately, she died too quickly for that to happen. And I think that she was onto something, there. It almost sounds cruel, or inhuman, but I honestly believe that there comes a point where it is best to let God/nature/science take His/her/its course, and stop fighting.
Back to the duck rescue… I did most of the duck interaction, as we had the dogs with us. Morgan held on to them and got the stuff from Adventures by the Sea, while I kept him away from the other people and critters that were interested. Actually, I think it was a she, but I don't know when ducks get their definitive coloring. When Morgan came back with the box, I picked the duck up, because, especially with the dogs there, it was easier for me to do it than to explain it to Morgan. Next time, I'll let her, though. I put the duck in the box, and then I took the dogs, and Morgan held the duck. When the ladies got there, the Marine Mammal Center had already arrived. Morgan had already spoken to them, and then we waited for the SPCA. Watching the sea lion rescue was interesting too. Fortunately, he did not seem to be too far gone to be saved. He put up quite a fight, I must say. Morgan was extremely excited. Her main concern, once he was in the box, was why they don't have a lift on their truck... she's a practical one, that girl! I’ll put the videos on here tonight after work.
Morgan's connection with the SPCA and Marine Mammal Center’s rescue services and personnel last week was really cool. It was exciting watching her interactions. She's already just been biding her time until she can be a junior guide at the Aquarium. And she's too young to volunteer for these guys, either, but she's not too young to keep her eye out and do what she can in the world. I am fortunate; both of my children have developed into staunch environmentalists. Mikaël and I had the most interesting IM conversation on the topic this weekend. He is convinced that, by 2012, some environmental cataclysm will cause "the end of the world as we know it." I told him that that isn't necessarily so terrible, for the planet and for life forms as a whole. He actually thinks that the changes in question will be resultant of something that he thinks will happen in 2012. 2012 is the key date for him, as he says that Nostradamus, the Bible Code, and the Mayan writings all point to 2012. I don't know about some of what he thinks, but the basic premise is interesting. We also talked about the influence of a possible pandemic, for example, of bird flu.
I personally have come to believe, between conversations, reading, and reflection, that pandemics are nature's way. And, while I am grateful to have modern medical care, I think that there is something inherently wrong with it. I am hesitating even as type those words because my perspective is little more than a feeling or impression in that I am not sure how to translate my uneasiness with medicine into words that make logical sense for modern western man. I'll try to explain it better, later.
I think that I am trying to strike a balance, at least in my own mind, as far as nature and medicine are concerned. I know that I don't want to just lie down and die. Not yet. But I also know that there will come a time when that is right. I am glad that the medical science existed to cure me of the illnesses I had in the 1990s, not to mention the terrible pain I was in, and all the time... And I was happy that they could deal with my mother's breast cancer and my father's skin cancer.
But, when my Mom had ALS, at first it was alright, when the medical care she received helped her function and feel better. But, once she couldn't walk, talk, swallow, etc., she was nothing but a brain and fingers - she could communicate via typing, and her mind was fully functional, but even she was done with her life, satisfied with her experience, and wanting to let go. Her husband didn't want to let her. He wasn't ready. In the weeks before she died, she told me that she just wanted it all to be done with, which is why she chose not to get a respirator like her husband wanted her to do. She had become a Catholic. She and I had had a number of discussions about spirituality, the fundamental nature of human existence, that type of light-hearted stuff... She had had visions in church, that Jesus on the crucifix was alive and beckoning to her. She wanted an audience with Pope John Paul II, who had passed away by then. She had righted the wrongs she had done in her life, and made peace with almost everyone she had had trouble with. She was tired. She was trapped in her body. She wanted out. And she was afraid that her husband and the doctors would take action to keep her alive against her will, and against nature's will. Fortunately, she died too quickly for that to happen. And I think that she was onto something, there. It almost sounds cruel, or inhuman, but I honestly believe that there comes a point where it is best to let God/nature/science take His/her/its course, and stop fighting.
Back to the duck rescue… I did most of the duck interaction, as we had the dogs with us. Morgan held on to them and got the stuff from Adventures by the Sea, while I kept him away from the other people and critters that were interested. Actually, I think it was a she, but I don't know when ducks get their definitive coloring. When Morgan came back with the box, I picked the duck up, because, especially with the dogs there, it was easier for me to do it than to explain it to Morgan. Next time, I'll let her, though. I put the duck in the box, and then I took the dogs, and Morgan held the duck. When the ladies got there, the Marine Mammal Center had already arrived. Morgan had already spoken to them, and then we waited for the SPCA. Watching the sea lion rescue was interesting too. Fortunately, he did not seem to be too far gone to be saved. He put up quite a fight, I must say. Morgan was extremely excited. Her main concern, once he was in the box, was why they don't have a lift on their truck... she's a practical one, that girl! I’ll put the videos on here tonight after work.
posted by Nana @ 10:06
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