Getting a gig as a DJ on a short morning show, cow milker, or a paperboy might work. Writing would too I guess. I'll stick to that avocation for now.
Warning - sharp turn ahead.....
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"It takes reckless courage to face one's own personal abyss."
Wordsworth
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Sorry for the odd transition but I was listening to a Jesuit priest's audio devotion while I was sitting here and that phrase caught my ear.
Father Gillick attributes this quote to Wordsworth in the introductory Audio Retreat
It may be actually be part of a quote from William Butler Yeats, according to this, but in any event it conveys a useful thought. A willingness to consider the end of your own life, struggles with addiction, recovery, loss; all cases of looking into an abyss.
Courage alone is not enough.
Courage and compassion.
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I am sad to think that Terri Shiavo has passed on, and that Pope John Paul is near death.
It's an odd form of Christian belief that life must be sustained at all costs even if the price is years of suffering, and loss of human dignity, on the part of the one living. Christians believe that Christ suffered and died on the cross so we would have eternal life. There is nothing to fear from death.
This is not to say death is not sad. The transitory nature of existance is terribly sad. The Buddha teaches us all life is suffering and we only remove ourselves from that pain by losing our selves, our ego. There is a perfect parallel in the Christian teaching of Christ giving up his self, his ego on the cross.
Acceptance of your own mortality and a willingness to come to terms with that are waypoints on the road to inner peace.
To know that if I die now it will be with out regret, with the knowledge that I lived my life as best I could, gave what I could, was kind as possible, loved and was loved.
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"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
Timothy 4:7
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Any day is as good as another to die. There isn't anything to fear (or there is everything to fear but we live with courage and find ways to take the edge off the fear) it's a good day to die, just as it's a good day to live, with faith that whatever happens will be just fine in the end.
Losing ones fear of death is a Christian thought and interestingly a "warrior" thought; samurai or other warriors deal with this fear. Carlos Castaneda wrote fairly extensively in this area.
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"A warrior must learn to make every act count, since he is going to be here in this world for only a short while, in fact, too short for witnessing all the marvels of it."
Carlos Castaneda
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If you are interested in reading about a warrior way of life and alternate forms of reality a good book to start with may be "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" written by Carlos Castaneda in the 1960's.
I say "may be" since it's not the type of writing that is for everyone. When I was in my late teens and early 20's I thought Carlos Castenada's writings were fascinating. I'd have to reread some to see how it reads today. One reviewer on Amazon said reading this book is like reading about walking on the moon. Very interesting but more than likely you are not going to be doing it personally. I'd also be a little concerned, now that I'm an old hack, to think about young impressionable readers getting some wrong ideas about use of mind altering drugs. If I remember correctly the teacher in this book forces Carlos to go through a series of steps to prepare for the use of peyote...I think he turns into a crow at some point too. Whether you think this book is fiction or non-fiction, it can be entertaining, and may be educational to read.
Ahhhh the 60's, I'm pretty sure we had a good time back then.
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They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom. ~Confucius
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"Peace Roses" by Shirley Trevena
