Embracing a Hole in the Ground

The only person close to me that I've had pass away was Eric, who I wrote about earlier this month, on the fifth anniversary of his death. I'm not trying to pish-posh his death, but it's not the same as a parent or sibling or child dying, obviously. And I've never had someone with that sort of closeness, someone who was truly a part and parcel of who I was as a person, pass away.

I bring this up because I feel like it probably has some sort of influence on how I feel about death and how I view it.

See, I've always struggled to understand people who were profoundly affected by death. That probably comes off as cold and/or callous, but it's true.

Watch me try to justify this after the break.

Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms

At what point do we stop being afraid?

Wait, let me back up.

A few days ago, I posted that Bill Hicks video and, in it, he talked about the choice between Fear and Love. The choice between locking your door and helping a stranger. The choice between buying a gun and pulling over to help someone change their tire.

If you pay attention to the news-- local, national, or 24-hour-- fear is a pretty constant thing. Play this game some time: watch the local news and count the number of stories where the intent is not to make you afraid. If you get to over five, well you're in luck because you live in Canada.

Feel the love after the jump.