This World And Then the Next One There is an old folk song that has the lines in it.... I know where I'm going, And I know who's going with me. I know who I love But the devil knows who I'll marry. That melody runs through my head frequently. And, it is one of the reasons for the names I've chosen for some of my pages. In fact, a lot of songs and poems and sayings related to travel and journeys keep popping into my head. I grew up hearing people use the phrase This world and then the next one! It would be said when someone felt they were having a difficult time in this world. You could often hear in their voices how much they longed for a better, less painful existance. They usually were hoping for something to make this life better rather than going to another world to find the answer to their problems. I think that is probably true of most of us when we feel we've enjoyed about all of this life we can stand. Most folks don't want to leave this world. At Least not now. Even so, we all know that we are mortal. We have many different beliefs about what the "next world" will be and where it will be and how we will get there. We formed those beliefs based on what our religious teachings were and what our families taught us. I rather think that all of us are right. I found this story in Readers Digest this month. Probably you've read it but I think it needs to be included here. The story is told of five men sitting around a potbellied stove, arguing about which is the "right" religion--which offers the greatest assurance of salvation. It was a fruitless discussion because no one could agree. Finally they turned to a wise old fellow who had been sitting in the corner listening. "Gentlemen," he said, "when the cotton is picked, there are several ways to get it to the gin. We can take the northern route -- it's longer but the road is better. Or we can take the southern route, which is shorter but filled with chuckholes. Or we can go over the mountain, even though it's more perilous. When we reach the gin, though, the man doesn't ask which way we came. He simply asks, 'Brother, how good is your cotton?'" Dave Turner ... Grateful Living (High Tide Press) So, when I say I know where I'm going, my ideas may be very different from some of yours. I want to share some of my feelings with you in the hope that you will be able to remember happy things about me and forget about sad things. If I'm going to haunt anyone's memories I want it to be a pleasant breeze not a damaging wind. When I was in early grade school we lived in St. Louis for a while. I remember attending a Presbyterian Church there. It was a big brick building, or seemed so to me. My folks didn't go, I went with two cousins who lived there. I still have some little bookmarks I got there for learning scriptures. Later, we were in Colorado again and the only Church in town was a Presybterian Church. The folks went once in a while and I went to Sunday School all the time. All the kids in town did. But, I almost got thrown out. My mouth worked hard even then. We had a young Sunday School teacher come to the Church.. She was so pretty and wore beautiful clothes. I can't remember her name but can still see her. She decided to start at the beginning to teach us the Bible. And, of course, announced that God created the Heavens and the Earth. I raised my hand and asked her who created God? It was obvious she wasn't pleased with me, and she talked for a long time. But, I said, you didn't tell me who created God? We had reached a stand off. My parents were contacted and my Mother found a way to communicate to me that I kept my mouth shut in Sunday School or I didn't go at all. With that point made clear, I continued to go there and learned values that still stay with me. After we moved back to Missouri to stay, my Mother joined the Baptist Church in Summersville. And, insisted that I did too. I may still be a member there. I know I never asked to be removed. Mom may have had my name taken off at some point. I attended Church there for several years. I still know a lot of the people in that Church. My Dad and Mother were both buried from there. There are a lot of good, kind hearted people there who go out of their way to help their fellow man. As time went on, I left home, married and rarely attended Church anywhere. When I did go it was to participate in the music. The music is a great comfort to me. When I began to read and learn about my American Indian heritage I realized that I did indeed believe in a Creator. Nature shows us every day that there is meaning and balance to our lives. When we watch the change of the seasons each year we see a great plan falling into place. My religion is the way I conduct myself every minute of every day. I want to make a positive impression and leave a warm feeling in my absence. Every person who needs help from me should receive it. No one should ever be hurt by my willful action. My goal is to be honest, truthful, kind and compassionate. If I succeed at that, I will be happy here and now and where ever I go that good grace will follow me. Some tribes speak of death by saying "he/she walked on". I like that feeling. It says that I didn't leave you. I just stepped ahead a little way. I'm not gone forever, just over the horizon. It leaves room for all religions and it leaves us with hope for the future and makes the passage another pleasant journey. The following words give us a good guideline to help us live in an honorable way. "So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and nothing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home." Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Nation We have made arrangements for our departure. We have made living wills and made arrangements to be organ donors. We have chosen to be cremated. In this day and time it is almost the only way you can return to the earth that has sustained us all our lives. The many regulations necessary to protect the health of today's citizens require barriers that restrict us from returning to dust. I find comfort in knowing that my ashes can join wind and water and provide nourishment to another life form to keep this planet growing and evolving. In that act, I will continue to contribute to my fellow man. There need not be services to tax the physical and emotional strength of my family and friends.I would much prefer that my loved ones gather together, enjoy a good meal, tell a funny story, read a poem and remember me with joy and laughter. With all that said, I assure you that I plan to enjoy every minute of my remaining life. There is no need to be afraid. I feel quite comfortable with my future. My life has been and is a pleasure. There have been times of trouble to teach me the value of the times of joy. I feel fortunate indeed to have found my soulmate and spend this time with him. Our children are well and doing well. We have a comfortable home and an adequate living. Granted our health problems are governing our lives to a great extent but we still maintain control of the situation. Everyone needs a goal. My goal now is to see the turn of the century. I want to see fireworks and hear celebrations. I want to see if the Y2K bug really shuts down the world. And I want to offer thanks to the Creator that I could live so long to see such an event. After that, we shall take life a day at a time. Someday the end will come. I see no reason to worry about it. I much prefer to enjoy every day to it's fullest. One thought I want to leave with my family and friends is written in the following poem. I hope it will bring comfort to all. I found this poem in Indian News. It says what I want to say. Friendly Winds I will know and become of the wind when I die, and like the wind, the memory of me will always touch you within. So when that sad day comes to make you cry, hold back your tears and remember what a good friend I have been. THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM THE JOURNEY Where I've Been Who's Going With Me Here And Now COMPUTER INFORMATION EMPHYSEMA: A ROADBLOCK © 1997 mevelynj@aol.com
There is an old folk song that has the lines in it....
I know where I'm going, And I know who's going with me. I know who I love But the devil knows who I'll marry.
That melody runs through my head frequently. And, it is one of the reasons for the names I've chosen for some of my pages.
In fact, a lot of songs and poems and sayings related to travel and journeys keep popping into my head.
I grew up hearing people use the phrase This world and then the next one! It would be said when someone felt they were having a difficult time in this world. You could often hear in their voices how much they longed for a better, less painful existance.
They usually were hoping for something to make this life better rather than going to another world to find the answer to their problems. I think that is probably true of most of us when we feel we've enjoyed about all of this life we can stand. Most folks don't want to leave this world. At Least not now.
Even so, we all know that we are mortal. We have many different beliefs about what the "next world" will be and where it will be and how we will get there. We formed those beliefs based on what our religious teachings were and what our families taught us. I rather think that all of us are right.
I found this story in Readers Digest this month. Probably you've read it but I think it needs to be included here.
The story is told of five men sitting around a potbellied stove, arguing about which is the "right" religion--which offers the greatest assurance of salvation. It was a fruitless discussion because no one could agree. Finally they turned to a wise old fellow who had been sitting in the corner listening.
"Gentlemen," he said, "when the cotton is picked, there are several ways to get it to the gin. We can take the northern route -- it's longer but the road is better. Or we can take the southern route, which is shorter but filled with chuckholes. Or we can go over the mountain, even though it's more perilous. When we reach the gin, though, the man doesn't ask which way we came. He simply asks, 'Brother, how good is your cotton?'"
Dave Turner ... Grateful Living (High Tide Press)
So, when I say I know where I'm going, my ideas may be very different from some of yours. I want to share some of my feelings with you in the hope that you will be able to remember happy things about me and forget about sad things. If I'm going to haunt anyone's memories I want it to be a pleasant breeze not a damaging wind.
When I was in early grade school we lived in St. Louis for a while. I remember attending a Presbyterian Church there. It was a big brick building, or seemed so to me. My folks didn't go, I went with two cousins who lived there. I still have some little bookmarks I got there for learning scriptures.
Later, we were in Colorado again and the only Church in town was a Presybterian Church. The folks went once in a while and I went to Sunday School all the time. All the kids in town did. But, I almost got thrown out. My mouth worked hard even then.
We had a young Sunday School teacher come to the Church.. She was so pretty and wore beautiful clothes. I can't remember her name but can still see her. She decided to start at the beginning to teach us the Bible. And, of course, announced that God created the Heavens and the Earth. I raised my hand and asked her who created God? It was obvious she wasn't pleased with me, and she talked for a long time. But, I said, you didn't tell me who created God? We had reached a stand off.
My parents were contacted and my Mother found a way to communicate to me that I kept my mouth shut in Sunday School or I didn't go at all. With that point made clear, I continued to go there and learned values that still stay with me.
After we moved back to Missouri to stay, my Mother joined the Baptist Church in Summersville. And, insisted that I did too. I may still be a member there. I know I never asked to be removed. Mom may have had my name taken off at some point. I attended Church there for several years. I still know a lot of the people in that Church. My Dad and Mother were both buried from there. There are a lot of good, kind hearted people there who go out of their way to help their fellow man.
As time went on, I left home, married and rarely attended Church anywhere. When I did go it was to participate in the music. The music is a great comfort to me.
When I began to read and learn about my American Indian heritage I realized that I did indeed believe in a Creator. Nature shows us every day that there is meaning and balance to our lives. When we watch the change of the seasons each year we see a great plan falling into place.
My religion is the way I conduct myself every minute of every day. I want to make a positive impression and leave a warm feeling in my absence. Every person who needs help from me should receive it. No one should ever be hurt by my willful action.
My goal is to be honest, truthful, kind and compassionate. If I succeed at that, I will be happy here and now and where ever I go that good grace will follow me.
Some tribes speak of death by saying "he/she walked on". I like that feeling. It says that I didn't leave you. I just stepped ahead a little way. I'm not gone forever, just over the horizon. It leaves room for all religions and it leaves us with hope for the future and makes the passage another pleasant journey.
The following words give us a good guideline to help us live in an honorable way.
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and nothing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."
Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Nation
We have made arrangements for our departure. We have made living wills and made arrangements to be organ donors. We have chosen to be cremated. In this day and time it is almost the only way you can return to the earth that has sustained us all our lives. The many regulations necessary to protect the health of today's citizens require barriers that restrict us from returning to dust.
I find comfort in knowing that my ashes can join wind and water and provide nourishment to another life form to keep this planet growing and evolving. In that act, I will continue to contribute to my fellow man.
There need not be services to tax the physical and emotional strength of my family and friends.I would much prefer that my loved ones gather together, enjoy a good meal, tell a funny story, read a poem and remember me with joy and laughter. With all that said, I assure you that I plan to enjoy every minute of my remaining life. There is no need to be afraid. I feel quite comfortable with my future. My life has been and is a pleasure. There have been times of trouble to teach me the value of the times of joy.
I feel fortunate indeed to have found my soulmate and spend this time with him. Our children are well and doing well. We have a comfortable home and an adequate living. Granted our health problems are governing our lives to a great extent but we still maintain control of the situation.
Everyone needs a goal. My goal now is to see the turn of the century. I want to see fireworks and hear celebrations. I want to see if the Y2K bug really shuts down the world. And I want to offer thanks to the Creator that I could live so long to see such an event.
After that, we shall take life a day at a time. Someday the end will come. I see no reason to worry about it. I much prefer to enjoy every day to it's fullest.
One thought I want to leave with my family and friends is written in the following poem. I hope it will bring comfort to all.
Friendly Winds
I will know and become of the wind when I die, and like the wind, the memory of me will always touch you within. So when that sad day comes to make you cry, hold back your tears and remember what a good friend I have been.
© 1997 mevelynj@aol.com