Sometimes the end of something is a very nice thing to think about.

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I sometimes see the ends of things when I see their beginnings.

Not always, but sometimes, and its sometimes disconcerting.

For example:

At the same time I see glittering new Christmas trees and shiny ornaments on retail shelves, I see them going on sale at 25% off, then 50%, then 75%.[1] A beautiful bride may look old and frumpy and tired. A delicious dinner may look like a sink full full of dirty dishes.

But sometimes the reverse is true:

I may see those same shiny new ornaments wrapped in old newspaper and packed away in a musty cardboard box softened and creased by years of use. Or I might see a beautiful bride bride wrapped in a floured apron, plump and rosy with grandchildren tugging at her hem. And a delicious dinner may look like conversation and laughter.

I like those images very much.

Sometimes the end of something is a very nice thing to think about.

The only thing that always looks like what it is, is my bed, which is warm and peaceful and friendly for 6-7 hours a day.

I think this "foresight" contributes to my preoccupation with mortality. I don't, of course, see the real future of anything; I actually see the past of similar things and view the present in those terms.

[2012-10-30]

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"If I can skip Purgatory, I'm all for that."

Heard on EWTN radio approx. 11am-ish ET 2010-11-01.

I'm not sure precisely how one goes about doing that. I have learned recently that some ghosts and other paranormal visitors have a place in theology if you allow for Purgatory. For a good Baptist, such things are always occultic and dangerous, except, in most homes, on Halloween, when they are harmless accouterments to candy and bonfires.

[2012-11-01]

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We're gonna need a bigger crucifix.

"Choosing not to believe in the Devil won't protect you from him."
--Fr Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins) in The Rite.

Interesting movie. When we first meet Fr Lucas, there is sort of a "This how we exorcise, exorcise, exorcise" approach that Hopkins does well, but it presents exorcism like a job; been there, done that. It does, however, set the stage for accelerating our fear; the demon that is about to become the center of attention is no ordinary one, ie, "We're gonna need a bigger crucifix."

Hopkins is a Christian; he came to faith late in life; it may be what attracted him to this role.

[2012-10-30]

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