Velvet Verbosity

The purpose of a blog seems self-evident. Don’t call me on my narcissistic tendencies.

Nothing is Certain Except Death

December 29th, 2007 | Category: Thinkage

“Nothing is absolute.” I woke up with this phrase repeating in my head over and over, though it took me the several slow minutes to consciousness to realize it. This phrase is hardly comforting to a person whose most fervent affliction in life is to know for sure. I want to know that my children will be OK in life. I want to be able to see the entire path of their future laid out. I want to see every fork in the road, every lake of quicksand, every pit full of vipers and scorpions, so that I can help them navigate around them before they even get there. I want to know that I will be loved unconditionally and with absolute certainty by my future partner so that I can relax and trust and be myself. I want to know that all my struggles to build a financial future will pay off. I want to know how long I will live and how I will die. I want to know when I get in my car that I will make it safely to my destination.

Embracing “nothing is absolute” is being willing to live with uncertainty. It is letting go of fear, or rather learning how to sit alongside fear and to transform it into a sense of curiosity. I know all that, and it’s all very wise, I know. Some part of my brain is obviously very wise and felt compelled to burn the message of “nothing is absolute” into my consciousness this morning.

Really, the only thing that is certain is death, only I will never know when it’s coming.

Damn it.

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4 Comments so far

  1. wordpress December 30th, 2007 3:20 am

    The Buddhist in you is obviously coming out to play.

  2. VelVerb December 31st, 2007 5:08 am

    As long as he doesn’t come out through my stomach screaming like that alien thing.

    That would be ugly.

  3. Rocas December 31st, 2007 7:49 pm

    This is the one true and only time where the old saying actually is a good motto:
    Ignorance is bliss.

    If I didn’t use in my day to day of ‘The not knowing’, I think I would be a wreak.

    Also the Alien thing, I’m with you. I hate that when it happens.

  4. Saint Valifer January 16th, 2008 12:25 am

    finally, some people are starting to get it…science was cool for a while, but many of its adherents still believe in absolute certainty…absence of dogma is the really important thing here…

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