Over the past two years, the community gardens I manage have become a haven for homeless or underemployed men and women. The pleasant setting attracts visitors from the surrounding, drab neighborhood, especially since, in Spring, 2022, the city closed their old haunt, a park five blocks away.
Mark, i think your writing gets better and better and this post is raw and compelling.
Agree we way overuse and incorrectly use “tragic” as a death descriptor, but i do think “any man’s death diminishes me” (John Donne) because it reminds that time, and with it deaths, moves me closer to my own last breath.
I'm reading Marcus Aurelius this week and he has a very alt/accepting view or death. At least on paper.
And then there's the New Testament.
As I've mentioned before, I've had some brushes with death. After the first few, I found the process surprisingly peaceful. Not that I want to die soon but when it seemed possible, I felt a sense of resignation and anticipation. And gratefulness for all that has happened and the people I've known. Like all of us, I've known a bunch of people who haven't made it as far down the road as I have.
Yes, the deaths of others bother people. Often, this is less because of sorrow about the deceased's departure and more because it makes people feel near-term vulnerable to the same outcome.
I have done a lot of reading of NDE (Near Death Experiences) because I need to know what it's like for my daughter. There is a such mixed emotion of missing her so much, but knowing her new life is exponentially greater than the one she had here, and she had a great life. It gives me peace and I am ready to go at any time and look forward to it, but I'll be here as long as God has some reason for me to be here.
A few months after my mother died at 89 from congestive heart failure in 2021, I had a ‘session’ with an ‘intuitive’ about my Mom. I was not sad about my mother’s passing, as I had seen and talked to her (over the phone through a sliding glass door as she was in a skilled nursing facility and they weren’t letting anyone in because of Covid), a hour before she passed away. We had had, what I felt was ‘closure’, as I told her that if she ‘wanted to go’ it was ok...to go ‘see’ my dad and her parents.
I told her that we (stating every family members name), ALL loved her, and it was ok to go. I left and she passed an hour later.
In the ‘session’ contact was made with my mom on the other side. The ‘intuitive’ said when she passed, she flew away on the wings of white doves, and she (my mom) said “had I known what it feels like over here, I would have gone sooner”. That was a beautiful thing for me to hear. I feel her presence in my life in many ways, almost on a daily basis. Whether it’s through a song I hear or something that pops up that reminds me of her. 💓🙏🏻
He has a reason. From reading your 'stack, you are finding it. Paul said: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." This seems like a pious platitude to many but is reality to those who believe.
A great post. So much truth about life and the lies that so many tell. All socialist ideologies are death cults and they are all the same or very similar, as Hitler observed. That's why they all practice abortion, euthanasia, and economic policies that results in death for so many. As you point out, the very people who preen and moralize about certain deaths support policies that guarantee suffering and death of others, the mRNA injections being the most recent vehicle, but a more subtle one.
I thank you for your steadfast work in your community, and your writings. The huge surge in excess deaths all over the world is not by accident but by design and it's only going to get worse. Keep writing the truth, so those who are willing to read them can spread the word about this series of disasters and help others through it all.
Yes, this one was kind of dark. But true, I think. And thus, countercultural amidst all the lies that have driven the Scamdemic. As much as the disruption itself, the non-stop barrage of outright dishonesty of the entire media and government complex has been intolerable. So much virtue-signaling by people who don't shed any real tears about strangers dying.
Aug 17, 2023·edited Aug 17, 2023Liked by Mark Oshinskie
Great article Mark. I carry a coin with "Memento Mori" inscribed on it. It is Latin for "remember that you [have to] die." A reminder that you could leave life right now!
Memento mori is an artistic or symbolic trope that reminds us of own mortality and the shortness and fragility of human life. It is a reminder of the inevitability of death and has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity and Christianity. The concept has appeared in funerary art and architecture from the medieval period onwards. A basic memento mori painting would be a portrait with a skull, but other symbols commonly found are hour glasses or clocks, extinguished or guttering candles, fruit, and flowers. The early Puritan settlers were particularly aware of death and fearful of what it might mean, so a Puritan tombstone will often display a memento mori intended for the living.
The meaning of memento mori is not morbid but rather an encouragement to honor and remember those who have passed before by living our own lives to the fullest
In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote, “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” If you enjoy Marcus Aurelius, you might want to get a copy of "The Daily Stoic" by Ryan Holiday. He has many great books, but this one has a one-page daily read. Great stuff to start each day.
My mother’s last 8 years of actual life in the nursing home was the sad tragedy. For her and her family. Her death was quiet and peaceful. She wanted to go in her lucid moments.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 As a collective, we used to understand death better. We used to respect and revere it. To have a great death was only second to living a well and loving life. Surrounded by community in both.
We had death gods and knew that death was a part of life.
Somewhere along the way we lost our power to understand deaths meaning- to value time. The only real currency.
One of the most infuriating aspects of the current world regime (and I mean the regime hiding behind most countries’ individual “cover” governments) is the deliberate practice of gaslighting the public into believing the opposite of what was intended. Covid was planned and strategized and played off as a spontaneous event. People were deliberately killed by both virus (or whatever it is) and the injection but the state pretended deaths were tragic and billions were spent to “help.” Same feeling about the Maui fire which appears to be a deliberate mass murder. In each case, the state blames the victims and pretends to help when what it is really doing is giving the final push off the cliff.
Death by overdose, virus, vaccination, massive fire, buildings collapsing, earthquakes and even cancer are more and more clearly not a result of mistakes or bumbling politicians, but a direct agenda with a well-strategized psychological/gaslighting component.
Well written and perfectly true. The whole "every death is a tragedy" drove me crazy from the beginning because it should be obvious to everyone that the elderly dying is a natural end to a long life, and often, it is desired by that person.
This is still a typical conversation:
Me: " My granny died this week"
Neighbor: "What happened?"
Me: "She was 82 and had a heart attack"
Neighbor: "Well, she had a nice long life. Don't be sad"
Me: "My gramps died the week before. He was 86"
Neighbor: "What happened?"
Me: "Covid, apparently"
Neighbor: "Oh my God, you're kidding! That's so terrible. So horrible. I'm so, so sorry"
One of the best articles I have read in a long, long time. Thanks, Mark, for writing with such emotion and clarity. My mom is in a care center (95 years old) and they lost 12 residents to C or should I say 'with' C...I miss all of them but they are in a much better place. My doctor once told me that pneumonia is an old persons best friend. It usually takes them out of their misery.
I agree with everyone posting today. This is excellent and compelling insight. The only death that pathologically altruistic and compliant Americans were concerned about was their own. That fear was planted in their heads by manipulative government actors and cynical WEF types, then projected on to the rest of society. I worry about the future of Western Civilization. This doesn't bode well.
Mark, This is pithy, moving, pointed, and necessary. Really impactful in a handful of words. And the closing says it all: "...while they still could". It is an honor to read your work. Thanks for sharing it with us all.
You make a great point about folks who supported the Covid scam oppression - how the majority of the same folks also support abortion and assisted suicide. Tell it like it is brother! "If one life was saved, it was worth it". Such hypocrisy and nonsense. Thanks for sharing!!
I know that saying that angers some people. But so much of what people believe isn't based on logical consistency but rather, what the media or people they like tell them to believe.
Dark but true and it needs to be pointed out, always. The mRNA injections are bioweapons meant to kill or injure: that's why the CCP doesn't allow their use in China. Statistically, 75% of those who have myocarditis or related heart diseases from the injections will die in 10 years: 50% will die within 5. This does not include all the other diseases, like the turbo-cancers we all have seen in injectees, plus the increased diabetes. And we know that the spike proteins will replicate in the body for years.
Of course, if the Uniparty Party gets us into a nuclear exchange with the CCP and/or the Russians, this is all academic. As Lord Protector Cromwell told his Roundheads: "Please your faith in God, but keep your powder dry." Those who follow you, Malone, Wolf, Kirsch, McCullough, and the many others who honestly write or speak about the Wuhan genocide, plus the other deadly challenges from the anarcho-fascist totalitarians, will have a fighting chance. The others, floating along in their ignorant bliss, not so much.
I often ask myself if one death is more tragic than another. How is this determined? Is there a reference guide somewhere that lists the tragedy factor for all the various ways a person can die? Is any death more meaningful or less meaningful than another? Who has the power to determine that? Society? The church? Government? None do...at least no one living on earth.
How or when a person dies is without reason. It's an equal mystery for all of us. The cause may be apparent, but the why now and the how come are never rationalized. Even the 105 year old could have lived another day, week, month or year.
Mark, i think your writing gets better and better and this post is raw and compelling.
Agree we way overuse and incorrectly use “tragic” as a death descriptor, but i do think “any man’s death diminishes me” (John Donne) because it reminds that time, and with it deaths, moves me closer to my own last breath.
Thanks, Barbara.
I'm reading Marcus Aurelius this week and he has a very alt/accepting view or death. At least on paper.
And then there's the New Testament.
As I've mentioned before, I've had some brushes with death. After the first few, I found the process surprisingly peaceful. Not that I want to die soon but when it seemed possible, I felt a sense of resignation and anticipation. And gratefulness for all that has happened and the people I've known. Like all of us, I've known a bunch of people who haven't made it as far down the road as I have.
Yes, the deaths of others bother people. Often, this is less because of sorrow about the deceased's departure and more because it makes people feel near-term vulnerable to the same outcome.
I have done a lot of reading of NDE (Near Death Experiences) because I need to know what it's like for my daughter. There is a such mixed emotion of missing her so much, but knowing her new life is exponentially greater than the one she had here, and she had a great life. It gives me peace and I am ready to go at any time and look forward to it, but I'll be here as long as God has some reason for me to be here.
A few months after my mother died at 89 from congestive heart failure in 2021, I had a ‘session’ with an ‘intuitive’ about my Mom. I was not sad about my mother’s passing, as I had seen and talked to her (over the phone through a sliding glass door as she was in a skilled nursing facility and they weren’t letting anyone in because of Covid), a hour before she passed away. We had had, what I felt was ‘closure’, as I told her that if she ‘wanted to go’ it was ok...to go ‘see’ my dad and her parents.
I told her that we (stating every family members name), ALL loved her, and it was ok to go. I left and she passed an hour later.
In the ‘session’ contact was made with my mom on the other side. The ‘intuitive’ said when she passed, she flew away on the wings of white doves, and she (my mom) said “had I known what it feels like over here, I would have gone sooner”. That was a beautiful thing for me to hear. I feel her presence in my life in many ways, almost on a daily basis. Whether it’s through a song I hear or something that pops up that reminds me of her. 💓🙏🏻
Christine,
That was beautiful.
Thanks.
Mark
He has a reason. From reading your 'stack, you are finding it. Paul said: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." This seems like a pious platitude to many but is reality to those who believe.
100%
Thank you Mark, your kindness , sincerity and love for mankind shines through, always . 🌞😘🙏
Yep, the NT perspective sure helps with the anticipation! (And I believe it!)
Have seen some deaths and it...it’s certainly different than life. Takes some careful, difficult thinking to be at peace with it.
So grateful for your happily unpredictable topics, and hope you keep on!
A great post. So much truth about life and the lies that so many tell. All socialist ideologies are death cults and they are all the same or very similar, as Hitler observed. That's why they all practice abortion, euthanasia, and economic policies that results in death for so many. As you point out, the very people who preen and moralize about certain deaths support policies that guarantee suffering and death of others, the mRNA injections being the most recent vehicle, but a more subtle one.
I thank you for your steadfast work in your community, and your writings. The huge surge in excess deaths all over the world is not by accident but by design and it's only going to get worse. Keep writing the truth, so those who are willing to read them can spread the word about this series of disasters and help others through it all.
Danny Huckabee
Thanks, Danny.
Yes, this one was kind of dark. But true, I think. And thus, countercultural amidst all the lies that have driven the Scamdemic. As much as the disruption itself, the non-stop barrage of outright dishonesty of the entire media and government complex has been intolerable. So much virtue-signaling by people who don't shed any real tears about strangers dying.
Great article Mark. I carry a coin with "Memento Mori" inscribed on it. It is Latin for "remember that you [have to] die." A reminder that you could leave life right now!
Memento mori is an artistic or symbolic trope that reminds us of own mortality and the shortness and fragility of human life. It is a reminder of the inevitability of death and has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity and Christianity. The concept has appeared in funerary art and architecture from the medieval period onwards. A basic memento mori painting would be a portrait with a skull, but other symbols commonly found are hour glasses or clocks, extinguished or guttering candles, fruit, and flowers. The early Puritan settlers were particularly aware of death and fearful of what it might mean, so a Puritan tombstone will often display a memento mori intended for the living.
The meaning of memento mori is not morbid but rather an encouragement to honor and remember those who have passed before by living our own lives to the fullest
In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote, “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” If you enjoy Marcus Aurelius, you might want to get a copy of "The Daily Stoic" by Ryan Holiday. He has many great books, but this one has a one-page daily read. Great stuff to start each day.
Here is the coin I carry. I use it as my ball marker in golf too!
https://store.dailystoic.com/products/memento-mori
Thank you for the wisdom!
My mother’s last 8 years of actual life in the nursing home was the sad tragedy. For her and her family. Her death was quiet and peaceful. She wanted to go in her lucid moments.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 As a collective, we used to understand death better. We used to respect and revere it. To have a great death was only second to living a well and loving life. Surrounded by community in both.
We had death gods and knew that death was a part of life.
Somewhere along the way we lost our power to understand deaths meaning- to value time. The only real currency.
One of the most infuriating aspects of the current world regime (and I mean the regime hiding behind most countries’ individual “cover” governments) is the deliberate practice of gaslighting the public into believing the opposite of what was intended. Covid was planned and strategized and played off as a spontaneous event. People were deliberately killed by both virus (or whatever it is) and the injection but the state pretended deaths were tragic and billions were spent to “help.” Same feeling about the Maui fire which appears to be a deliberate mass murder. In each case, the state blames the victims and pretends to help when what it is really doing is giving the final push off the cliff.
Death by overdose, virus, vaccination, massive fire, buildings collapsing, earthquakes and even cancer are more and more clearly not a result of mistakes or bumbling politicians, but a direct agenda with a well-strategized psychological/gaslighting component.
Tremendous
Thank you
Well written and perfectly true. The whole "every death is a tragedy" drove me crazy from the beginning because it should be obvious to everyone that the elderly dying is a natural end to a long life, and often, it is desired by that person.
This is still a typical conversation:
Me: " My granny died this week"
Neighbor: "What happened?"
Me: "She was 82 and had a heart attack"
Neighbor: "Well, she had a nice long life. Don't be sad"
Me: "My gramps died the week before. He was 86"
Neighbor: "What happened?"
Me: "Covid, apparently"
Neighbor: "Oh my God, you're kidding! That's so terrible. So horrible. I'm so, so sorry"
The times we are in...
One of the best articles I have read in a long, long time. Thanks, Mark, for writing with such emotion and clarity. My mom is in a care center (95 years old) and they lost 12 residents to C or should I say 'with' C...I miss all of them but they are in a much better place. My doctor once told me that pneumonia is an old persons best friend. It usually takes them out of their misery.
Thanks, Mary.
I agree with everyone posting today. This is excellent and compelling insight. The only death that pathologically altruistic and compliant Americans were concerned about was their own. That fear was planted in their heads by manipulative government actors and cynical WEF types, then projected on to the rest of society. I worry about the future of Western Civilization. This doesn't bode well.
Thank you for this.
Thanks, TB, for making the record you are making. It's an important project to try to keep truth alive.
Thanks, Mark. One day I will get to NJ and give you a big hug.
I wish you would.
Mark, This is pithy, moving, pointed, and necessary. Really impactful in a handful of words. And the closing says it all: "...while they still could". It is an honor to read your work. Thanks for sharing it with us all.
Thank you, Ralph.
I very much appreciate your companionship.
You make a great point about folks who supported the Covid scam oppression - how the majority of the same folks also support abortion and assisted suicide. Tell it like it is brother! "If one life was saved, it was worth it". Such hypocrisy and nonsense. Thanks for sharing!!
I know that saying that angers some people. But so much of what people believe isn't based on logical consistency but rather, what the media or people they like tell them to believe.
Emperor Cuomo II said something like “If everything we do saves just one life, I’ll be happy”
Dark but true and it needs to be pointed out, always. The mRNA injections are bioweapons meant to kill or injure: that's why the CCP doesn't allow their use in China. Statistically, 75% of those who have myocarditis or related heart diseases from the injections will die in 10 years: 50% will die within 5. This does not include all the other diseases, like the turbo-cancers we all have seen in injectees, plus the increased diabetes. And we know that the spike proteins will replicate in the body for years.
Of course, if the Uniparty Party gets us into a nuclear exchange with the CCP and/or the Russians, this is all academic. As Lord Protector Cromwell told his Roundheads: "Please your faith in God, but keep your powder dry." Those who follow you, Malone, Wolf, Kirsch, McCullough, and the many others who honestly write or speak about the Wuhan genocide, plus the other deadly challenges from the anarcho-fascist totalitarians, will have a fighting chance. The others, floating along in their ignorant bliss, not so much.
Danny
Great writing Mark, as usual.
I am reminded of a line by the Virginia Madsen character (an angel) in A Prairie Home Companion movie, "The death of an old man is never a tragedy"
I thought that movie was really good. And I don't like most movies.
I often ask myself if one death is more tragic than another. How is this determined? Is there a reference guide somewhere that lists the tragedy factor for all the various ways a person can die? Is any death more meaningful or less meaningful than another? Who has the power to determine that? Society? The church? Government? None do...at least no one living on earth.
How or when a person dies is without reason. It's an equal mystery for all of us. The cause may be apparent, but the why now and the how come are never rationalized. Even the 105 year old could have lived another day, week, month or year.