Some Easter . . . .

Thought I'd better get one in before too long as we've been to-ing and fro-ing visiting the mother-in-law for what seems like ages now. Actually, it's just short of a fortnight, but it seems like a lifetime. We're both supposed to be on leave this fortnight, but it certainly doesn't seem like it at all. 

How is she? She's had a severe stroke, been left on the floor without  any treatment for 12 hours, had a heart attack the first night in hospital and now she's got pneumonia. She's a bloody witch! The hospital describe her as 'very poorly', but she's obviously not poorly enough eh? Personally I think they're just wasting resources because it's only the nebulator and intravenous feeding that's keeping her alive and 'alive' consists of fighting for breath all day and night and moaning and groaning. some quality of life eh? They should be treating the dying, not the living here. 

Anyway, one the radio the other day there was a discussion about people preparing their own eulogies on video to be played at their funerals and, while at first I thought that sounded a good idea, I'm not so sure now. I'm not likely to sit and watch the film over again, no matter how much I loved the deceased, especially if they're banging on about what a good, bad or indifferent life they've had or trying to be profound or, worse still, unnaturally witty. 

Its also a bit of an ego trip, I think. Not much chance of anyone giving you the thumbs down if you're the one doing the talking. You could always go for false modesty I suppose so that the family and friends (if you've actually got any friends) can contradict what you say and claim you were really a great old sort and you shouldn't have played yourself down. Nope, I think I'll skip that option and rely instead on some poor bugger being dropped upon to do the noble / dirty deed instead.

I don't suppose it's going to bother me anyway as, one way or another I'll not be there anyway. If there's no life after death then I'll not know anything anyway. If there is life after death, then I'm pretty sure I'll have enough to keep me occupied during the enlistment period. I bet it'd be like when I joined the navy; lots of new stuff to learn and kit to draw and badges to sew on, as well as having to find my way around a seemingly endless camp. I  think we'll all f=get to wear something like hospital greens and trainers; can't see robes being very practical. Course, we'll have no need to keep things in our pockets like money, keys, mobiles phones and the like cos we'll be incorporeal beings by then; ghost;y, or ghastly.

I quite fancy the idea of an afterlife, though the term reminds me of radioactivity or something. I prefer the great beyond or, maybe , the hereafter - not sure it'll be heaven  though. I remember a Maltese guy years ago in Valetta saying that Heaven is full of fat priests and cats, so it doesn't sound too appealing really. I'm not surprised he didn't fancy going there. I read and SF book about a man sent to Heaven and it sounded like he was in a foreign country - well, he was, so to speak. It would be an alien environment, but I don't imagine it to be all holy and full of blokes with wings (that's angels to you). I think it'd be more businesslike and certainly more efficient than down here. I mean, they've got billions of souls to organise and a hell of a timetable to run. Don't suppose you're allowed to say hell up there though (well, maybe only without a capital H). 

I imagine it'd be a bit boring though. No books or films and certainly no leads or wargaming. I bet there'd be no deep philosophical discussions either cos you'd know all the right answers by then. What would yo do all day though? if you're a spirit or whatever, you'd not need sleep or food and drink. there's be nothing much to do cos I bet the Angels would run things like clockwork. Anyway, God could just get things to run automatically, I bet. You can't sit around and natter all day cos what would you natter about? I think life (or death) without arguments or debates would be insufferable. We're not designed to be nice all the time, surely? Even though I think it's fair to say that I'm naturally lazy, I think I'd get bored just lolling about all the time being eternal or whatever. 

Anyway, just had thins morning's bulletin from The Chosen One to say that mummy dearest hasn't coughed it yet, so that's today's excitement down the pan. Time to sign off with today's toy, I think:

This is a representation of Pat Cleburn. Seems topical as it's got a dead yankee on the base.

G.