Temporary halt in my writing after shoulder surgery
My nemesis in life is aging. We do NOT work together well. It likes to boss me around, and it keeps me from doing what I need to do. My life is an act of rebellion against it.
I sometimes wonder (usually early in the mornings when I have not had enough sleep) what kind of instructions we received during our antecedent pre-mortal existence about the nature of aging during this mortal earth life.
Here is my imaginary pre-moral scenario in some past scene in heaven:
God: Hosts of heaven please gather together that I might instruct you on your upcoming mortal existence.
[The hosts gather in the largest meeting in the history of the universe.]
God: You spiritual hosts are gathered here to receive your final instructions about what will happen to you when you gain a physical body. Oh, I see that one of the spirits in the audience already has a question. Please ask away.
Spirit of S.Faux: Ahhhh, sorry, I don't have a question. I was just going to say, "Sign me up! I am ready to go."
God: Thank you spirit, but let's keep comments to questions. You are already "signed up." OK, you will be going to earth to gain a physical body and to experience physical nature. You will be born of physical parents. You will age, eventually die, and then return to the spirit world.
Ahh, I see another hand being raised.
Spirit of S.Faux: Ahhhh, when am I scheduled to go? I am ready.
God: Each of you will need to wait your turn. But, in your case, spirit, you are scheduled to go in 4.73157683249 billion earth years – or in 2.03 Heaven days.
Now as I was saying, all of you will go to earth and you will experience aging. Your teeth will decay. Your hair will fall out. Your shoulders will come out of their sockets. You will experience for the first time what it means to be broken.
Spirit of S.Faux [without raising his hand]: Ahhh, I don't mean to be a pest. Heehee, I learned about pests in my "Moral Life Preparation Class." But, I don't believe they taught us about teeth and hair. Could you explain?
God: [Thinking:] Good thing I am patient. [Spoken:] Teeth are the implements in the mouth used for eating food, and hair … hmmmm … is protein growth on the head that will be used for adornment, cutting, and shaving. In a special few of you, long hair will be associated with strength and freedom from harm. In most others, long hair will be associated with Rock 'n' Roll.
Spirit of S.Faux [without raising hand]: I'll sign-up for Rock 'n' Roll, and I want chips and salsa as soon as I am born.
God: OK, I know you spirits are anxious for the unknown to become the known … .
Spirit of S.Faux [interrupting]: You just said, "OK." Was that expression meant to be rhetorical and parenthetical, or was it granting me permission …
God [interrupting]: Spirit, do you need to be removed and placed with the outcast third?
Spirit of S.Faux [interrupting]: No, I will shut up. But, one last question: "Will I ever be a singer on American Idol?
[Thunder in the background… .]
I have never been a fan of American Idol until this season. The top thirteen singers were filled with amazing talent, and I did enjoy almost all of those singers.
The "Finale" was especially enjoyable with KISS, QUEEN, ADAM LAMBERT, and KRIS ALLEN. Can a man pushing sixty EVER like such things? Well, I do – and I am proud of it. The program made me feel young, and reminded me of the glorious sixties when I grew up in southern California.
The IDOL program is a favorite of my fourteen year old boy. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights our house rocked. It was good clean fun, … well, until Bikini Woman walked on stage.
On a less positive topic, I have been dealing with a torn tendon in the rotator cuff of my shoulder for the past year. The result has been a lot of pain, cortisone shots, and impaired sleep. So, believe it or not, I have been looking forward to my shoulder surgery next Wednesday.
But, the dilemma this surgery creates is that my right arm will be in a sling for weeks, possibly keeping me from typing. Maybe there is a way for me to fudge and type anyway. Believe me, I will try.
But, in case I fail, this may be my last blog for a few weeks.
So, what will I be doing the next few weeks?
I will watch reruns of the American Idol finale (2 hours). It was solid entertainment. (Sure, I like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir too, but I also like musical diversity). My background music for the next several weeks will be songs by Kris Allen Adam Lambert, and Danny Gokey.
I will be watching the History channel documentary (Monday, May 25, at 8 Central time) entitled The Link, about the newly reported primate fossil (Darwinius Masillae) that is 47 million years old. The original scientific investigators and the media have hyped the fossil and exaggerated its importance, but the finding is still quite important. The fossil is at best a VERY INDIRECT human ancestor. Why? The fossil is from Germany NOT Africa, where the earliest Hominin fossils have been found. Nonetheless, the TV program is sure to be fascinating. By the way, I hate the term "missing link," because the term is virtually meaningless. Evolution is a continuous process, and thus all life is in transition.
I am planning to read a controversial book with an evolutionary tone: Robert Wright's new book: The Evolution of God. From what I can gather, the book makes a strong case FOR religion. See the book review by Andrew Sullivan. I have read much of Wright's work, and he is a thoroughly thoughtful writer and journalist. I will be snapping up this new book as soon as it comes out in a couple of weeks.
And, lest you think I am a complete liberal heretic (actually, I think of myself as conservative), there is a truly classic book by a General Authority that would make for fabulous summer reading. I plan to reread: Safe Journey: An African Adventure by Glenn L. Pace (2003). I am betting it will be a better read the second time.
I bid you farewell for next few weeks. Maybe I will benefit by a LOT of deep thinking before I write my next blog. That would be a wonderful change.
Copyright 2009 S.Faux (Email: foxgoku54 [at] gmail [d0t] c0m; URL: http://mormoninsights.blogspot.com). Readers may distribute this post for noncommercial purposes provided such distributing is of the entire post, including author's copyright and contact information. All other rights reserved.
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3 comments:
Steve, who would have guessed I like american idol too! maybe not as much as you. But good luck with your shoulder surgery! love your bro BFaux
Good luck with your surgery! Something tells me that you will not be kept from typing even with your arm in a cast.
I burned the fingers of my left hand about a month ago, and although I didn't know how long they would take to heal (not long, it turned out), I determined to do my typing anyway. So I typed with my right hand only. Yes, it was a lot slower, but I was glad that I wasn't letting myself be stopped.
B.Faux:
Thanks, bro.
Michaela:
Thanks for your best wishes, and I think you are right. I will be attempting to subvert my sling right away.
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