The Good: Bored to Death.
As you may or may not know, I have a crush on John Kellogg Hodgman. This was indicated in a previous blog post which also had a Photoshopped image of my love and I. Just to be creepy (again).. here is my hubby John Hodgman and I, at my graduation (pic kindly 'taken' by my mate Ric):
Ok, so J.H. (ekk!! I just realised, This is the third straight man I have had a crush on who's initials are J.H.!), Anyway enough about me, and more about the love of my life John Hodgman, who is in a great television program called 'Bored to Death'.. (If you haven't seen it, go straight to season 2). A mate of mine was recently fortunate enough to see season 3 of this American series and teasingly told me that J.H. 'gets it on with a man'!! I suspect it might just be a kiss, rather than full-blown 'let me take you to a special place' type intimacy.. still.. There is a God and my heart is a flutter.. because maybe, just maybe if his character in this TV series kisses a man on screen, then maybe my Hodgy Podgy (we are friends here, I feel I can share my love and I's pet names for each other), will turn gay, fly to Australia, somehow bump into me and then we live happily ever after behind our white picket fence.
If you are reading this my little Hodgy Podgy, you do know that I love you, but that facial hair you've recently been sporting?.. seriously? It has to go!
The Bad: Arguing with Death... well kind of.
I guess I could call it a result of living alone for so long, every now and then I find myself talking to myself out loud. This doesn't just take place at home, but also in public spaces such cafes and public transport. So.. today I was showering, thinking about being forty (as you do) and how some people really hate aging and see forty as a death knell. I was thinking about how I like it and how we are all getting older and closer to death each moment... death could be a just heartbeat away, a blink, or much further off.. who can say?... So I suddenly think about death approaching me, and how I am feeling ok about it.. sure I want to live, but the next adventure lays ahead. .. and sure, maybe if I had someone special in my life, I wouldn't be feeling so 'ok' about it all. Anyway, as I am showering I start to imaging meeting death and chatting...My hands start to gesture (as they do when I am in conversation) and death tells me that it is not my time...
I reply 'really?.. well I am happy to go out on a high..seriously'.
Death thinks I'm a fool and says 'no you have to go back'..
"Well, I have had a bit of a crazy life and yeah things are much better now.. but if I go back are they going to stay good, or is there more crap to come.. cause I am over crap and drama?" I am not convinced that Death knows my story or what is best for me.
Death sighs heavily 'look, it's not your time, you need to go back'
'umm well if you want to swap for a while.. I mean you can go back as me and I can take you scythe and just do the whole reaper thing, that might be fun for a change, at least for a while.. you know there was that TV series 'dead like me'..?'
Even though death has no eye balls, I can tell he is rolling his eyes at me.. so like an idiot I take that as an invitation to continue...
"You know, I can do the whole sneaking up on people, say something like daggy but cool, like Arnold Schwarzenegger does in his films and then 'scythe' them".. I even do the actions...
Again Death 'rolls his eyes'.. well he gives off the whole eye rolling vibe and exasperatedly says 'no'.
At this point I realise I am in the shower talking out loud to myself with hands gesturing madly. So I stop.
Maybe I have been living on my own for a little bit too long?
Speaking about Death, Neil Gaiman had an amazing comic called "The Sandman'. It ran from 1989-1996. In it 'Dream' a.k.a 'Morpheus' (as well as a host of other names) is part of a family called 'the endless'. His older sister is 'Death'. Death is a portrayed as cool, fun, perky and kind Goth-looking young woman. According to Wikipedia "One day every century, Death lives (and dies) as a mortal, in order to understand the value of the life she takes. She does this by becoming a mortal fated to die that day."
Here are some pics of Neil Gaiman's Death. The top one is definitely drawn by Chris Bachalo, not sure about the others:
The Ugly: The Death Of Whitney Houston
Some might say that the Whitney we knew died years ago, with substance use...I won't weigh in on that discussion, but rather will just acknowledge the death this past week of an artist who filled my early years with hope and happiness. Early in my record buying life, her debut LP was on my turntable often. In my bedroom I sang and performed the songs, escaping from the life we lived. 'How will I know', 'Saving all my love' and of course 'the greatest love of all'. With this last song, Whitney taught me that it didn't matter what anyone else thought, It only mattered what I thought about me. She helped get me through so much. So to you Whitney, thank you and may you rest in peace.
The greatest love of all:
"I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all "
Find your strength in love
(find your strength in you).
Great blog post Matteo!
ReplyDeleteI have had many 'talking out loud' conversations with myself before...usually it's when i'm doing something incredibly domestic, like washing dishes...but never before have I had a conversation with Death, let alone in the shower...i am intrigued
Re: the talking out aloud to yourself. You sound like my mum! Hehe!
ReplyDeleteThat's a compliment,'cause your mum ROCKS!!!!
DeleteSeriously she is kind a cool ;-)
Yes, my mum rocks! But it's still scary that you're starting to be like her! hehe.
ReplyDeleteWell, your Mum and I have been talking about how she always wanted a son.... and now that you have your own family, It might be time that I took your place as her only child.. and, as the son she always wanted :-)
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