“What? You’re disappointed at the size of your funeral? You humans are too much. And the headstone’s too small as well?”
“I’m not exactly disappointed. I just thought…”
Editor’s Note – Enjoy Part 1 here: The Greatest Teacher Who Never Lived
“That’s the problem. You thought. In other words, you had an expectation that more people would show up for you, am I right?”
“Well, yeah, I mean I thought at least the Conways…My wife and I practically raised their kids when they lost their house. And the Fishers? Where are they? We co-signed their mortgage loan, for Pete’s sake!”
“You can’t handle it, can you?”
“Like I have a choice?”
“Bingo! You nailed it. Here’s another lesson my friend. I’ll make it short since we’re getting there, and you’ll need to settle in for a way long time!”
“Not funny, this eternal thing still has me spooked, and you’re grinning about it, insensitive creep!”
“Here’s the lesson. The biggest problem you humans have is you think you can control things. That even goes for things that have already happened! Your folks divorced when you were what age?”
“I was seven.”
“Okay, so fifty-nine years ago, and you still can’t accept it? How much time have you wasted trying to make that right?
“I’m supposed to pretend it never happened? I was lost for a few years, and I hated that Pop was a driveway dad! It was awful deciding where I’d sleep every other weekend.”
“Even though you had a place to sleep, in fact, two of them! You see what I mean? There are things that rob your energy, and you humans give way too much attention to those, instead of facing the reality of them. When you got fired back in the nineties? You still have that gut punch come up, stealing your energy whenever your career’s mentioned. Why would you do that? Give it up! Should you feel sad about it? Sure, for a while, but jeez, let it ruin your life? Why?”
“It’s called being human. Where the devil are we now?”
“We’re almost halfway there, and I’m glad you asked because this is where I give one of my more profound lessons.”
“Can’t wait to hear it. You’re going to give me another reason we humans are famous for having a flat learning curve.”
“No, I’m going to ask you a series of questions actually, and worry not, they require yes/no answers.”
“Even a mere human can handle that.”
“That’s the very topic. Can you handle things? Because most of your colleagues can’t or choose not to. I’m going to swing us back around here for a bit, just…like…so… Okay, take a look back at where we came from. Do you see that tiny blue dot?”
“Um, yes, the only one with any color? It looks like the earth.”
“That’s because it is the earth, good fellow. That lonely little dot, that wet ball of mud, rocks, and trees spinning through the vast reaches of space is where you were. It’s 93 million miles from your favorite star, which is one of roughly 3 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. There are roughly three trillion — trillion with a T — galaxies, each with billions of stars. In other words, your earth could implode, or burn up, or spin off into space and do you think it would be missed?
“Is that the first question?”
“Well..?”
“I, uh, guess not except by the billions of humans…”
“They’d never know it, trust me, they’d be too busy bitching and moaning about nonsense they can’t handle. Right now, right there on earth, one of your colleagues is whining about her electric bill being too high, even though she never once gave thanks that the lights come on every time she flips the switch. She’s tapping her foot waiting for the water to get hot, impatient it’s taking so long not once thankful she has such a convenience. Does that make sense to you, yes or no?”
“Well, utility prices are pretty high…And we’re busy people, so…
“Yes or no?”
“No, of course not.”
“Right now, a guy’s trying to log on to his NetFlix account and can’t because he forgot his password. He’s so mad he’s ready to chew rocks. Does THAT make sense?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“All that gorgeous blue, green, white, and every other shade in the palette of the universe surrounds people on earth. They have everything they need, air, water, perfect temperature, gentle breezes, plenty of food, vistas that take their breath away, and they complain? Earth is god’s version of Disneyland, only better! And humans gripe about things? Does that make sense? Help me out.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“You remember the millions of years before you were born?”
“No, of course not.”
“And the millions to come after you’re gone?”
“Not likely, what’s your point?”
“The earth is four and a half billion years old, and you’re given 80, 90, maybe 100 years, and you bitch about a lost password?”
“Okay, I’m starting to get it. So, what’s the answer?”
“Live! That’s all. Live your lives, every second, every hour, every day, and be grateful! When tough things come along, handle them and then let them go. Thank them for the lessons they impart, then go on. Handle them and be grateful because you never know when the clock’s gonna stop. Okay, we’re almost there.”
