"I💗Aging and Dying"

Saw this on a bumper sticker today while I was out cycling for work.

What a message! It really caught my eye, and I keep flashing back to it in my head. Have you ever seen this bumper sticker? Have you ever heard this sentiment expressed? First time for me.

I guess, well, beats the alternative? Or, is that contradictory to the whole message?

I guess, well, that's why we're here: to age and die. Quite succinct, really. 

"I💗Aging and Dying" = "I💗(...) Life(?)"

Is it some statement about the ethics of assisted suicide?! Ohhhhh random thoughts that ran thru my head in close succession.

Is it just one of those things that's a nice idea in theory? Cause, come on, aging gracefully can be lovely, but once the body starts giving out, the memory going, the things you used to be able to do stop being possible, the sagging and puffiness shows up in its sneaky way, serious health concerns become more frequent and more scary, the phrase from Nora Ephron's book, "I feel bad about my neck" resonates more and more truly and you realize, well, the more you age the more you're going to feel bad(?) about your neck? The phrase is nice, in theory. It's so cozy and zen, so open and present, mature and wise. 

I don't know, actually. I'm new here. Or, am I? But, just when is that hill that we get to go over?  40? 30? 25? 60? 80? Never? Always? Every single second?

Cause as soon as we're here we're aging. Every day we're dying a little, or moving towards it. One day closer than yesterday. 

Do you love it? 

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

 

I don't mean it that way, but, well maybe I do: do you 💗Aging and Dying?

I want to say well I'm not really doing that dying thing yet so how can I really say? But, my earlier words kind of contradict that. 

Do I💗Aging and Dying?

 

It was so beautiful to celebrate a life at the memorial service for my Grandma last weekend. My cousin put together a slideshow--which he is so good at--of her time here, her lifespan on earth. Photos from early days all the way up to videos from where she was (again) barely recognizable as most of us had known her--having gotten smaller, thinner, having stopped with putting on her mask of makeup and sweet smile and hair colour and certain clothes and ways. Just: her, aging and dying in all its purity. Closer to that last bit of aging and dying that she'd do, till she was...done with the whole thing? To put it bluntly.

And then what? Well, that depends on where you stand. But it feels all about this sometimes, the aging and dying. That's life.

 

"I💗Aging and Dying" = "I💗Life"

It's so positive to say I love life. Like, wow, you must have it altogether, you must not get knocked down for long, you must have a super strong faith, you must be so lucky, suuuuuuuuuuurrrre you can say that now but...what about when you don't?

Do you ever not love life? Do you ever kind of think, well hey it's actually fine this thing doesn't last forever. Bring it on. Not now, just. Yeah, it's fine. 

There was a person having what appeared to be a psychotic episode out on our main street here today, just a bit ago. Police were pulled over to help them in their car. As we passed I could see a collapsed looking figure, and family trying to help. The person was face down. As we moved away from the scene shrill screaming came from the vehicle--screaming like I'd never heard before. There are sirens going and going and going as I write this. Is that person why? Either way, they keep going. And going and going. 

 

I💗Aging and Dying?

Like any bumper sticker maybe it's just a pithy oversimplified statement, meant to do what it's done and stick in my head.  

Do you walk around thinking to yourself,  "I💗Aging and Dying"? What would it feel like to walk around like that? Cause I don't think I actually know.

And,

I'd like to find out. 

Maybe I should get that bumper sticker for my bike. 

 

----------------------------

Btw, just told Simon about this bumper sticker--as he preps to leave the house. 

"It said,  'I💗Aging and Dying' -- what do you think?"

A bit horrified, he exhales into -- "Oh, god. That's weird---"

Ha!