Friday, March 18, 2011

40 Days Of Lent: Day Ten

Possibility of More Karma

I didn't buy gifts for many people while visiting London and Paris. What I did get, I got as impulse buys. "Oh, here's an [object]. [Person] loves [object]s. I'll get it for them. They'll love it!" For what it's worth, I didn't buy myself that much either.

However, I did make a point of bringing back coins in a variety of denominations as a gift for one of my boss's kids. He's become fascinated by currency and money (the words "apple," "far" and "tree" come to mind), particularly money from other countries. His older brother, on the other hand, is the artist of the family and likes making things, including a Lego picture frame that's much nicer than it sounds.

While pouring the pile of coins onto my boss's desk I suddenly saw my future. Inspired by this gift, his kid will grow up to work in finance - perhaps currency exchange - and become wealthy whereas I inevitably will end up lying in a gutter somewhere. Not recognizing me, he will feel compelled to throw me a few coins as he walks past but not know why, and the universe will then be in balance.

It reminds me of another time I saw my future. A friend was complaining about the unseasonably hot weather and asked "why is it so hot all the time all of a sudden?" I gave her a rather incredulous look, to which she responded "You don't think it's that, do you? Ugh, I hope not." The irony of the situation is that her husband works as a lawyer for energy companies. Hearing her denial, I flash forwarded to see myself crawling across a scorched desert that was probably once a major American metropolis and thinking back on our conversation right before I died.

No, I don't ever see my future as dying peacefully in bed surrounded by my loved ones. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.

3 comments:

wpbooks said...

I think Cerebus had a profound effect on all of us thinking we will die "alone....unloved...unmourned..."
as least that's how I figure to go....and yes, there is always the gutter, to be sure! Hopefully, on that day it won't be raining! But if you do go before I, well...I'll miss ya..ya bastid!!

the hanged man said...

Actually, I always think of the lines from Robyn Hitchcock's Ye Sleeping Knights of Jesus:

"Dyin' of starvation in the gutter/
That is all the future holds for me..."

Hopefully this won't be for a couple of years.

Anonymous said...

Boy! And Erin calls me "The Glass Half-Empty Person!"