Tuesday 16 June 2020

TWO LITTLE DUCKS IN A ROW...



Two of the earliest items from my childhood that I remember from infancy (and still have) are the ducks in the photo above.  They've occupied the bathroom of every family home I've ever lived in and there's absolutely no danger of me ever dispensing with their familiar presence now.  But what will happen to them when I'm finally pushing up the daises or my ashes are scattered over a field somewhere?  As that final moment inches ever closer, I actually find myself concerned about their eventual fate.  I feel like that about everything I own, of course, but original items that go all the way back to my earliest years elicit a slightly keener concern in my mind.

Will they be thrown away, or given to a charity shop or jumble sale?  If they get 'adopted', will they remain a pair, or have to endure being separated from their lifelong bath-time partner of so many decades?  I'd like to think that they'll stay together and adorn the bathroom of their new owner for many a long year, but alas, there are no guarantees in this life, are there?  If there's an afterlife, my idea of Heaven would be to wake up in my present house when my town was at its best (long time ago now), and find myself reunited with every toy, book, comic, ornament, item of furniture, etc., that I've ever owned.

Now, I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking that I'm going to ask you if you're concerned about what will happen to your cherished items once you fall off the twig, but no!  (Though you can address that if you want to.)  What I'd like to know ('cos I'm an inquisitive soul) is whether you believe in an afterlife or not, and, if so, what form you think it's likely to take?  Even if you don't subscribe to the notion of survival of the spirit or soul, you may still have an idea of what you'd want Heaven to be like- if it existed.  And would your ideal imagining include not only the people and pets you loved, but also your childhood playthings?

Don't be backward in coming forward - share your sentiments in the comments section now!

9 comments:

Colin Jones said...

I'm not religious and I don't believe in an afterlife but your version sounds pretty good :)

And I hope your rubber ducks find a good home.

Kid said...

Thanks, CJ, but my ducks ain't made out of rubber. (That's only my underwear.)

Big D said...

Just like my Dad I am not religious and do not believe there is a heaven after we die - we are all amazingly fortunate to each have the gift of our own life.
This was often discussed with other family members who were religious and my Dad would always say he hoped that he was wrong and their beliefs (based on blind faith alone) were right, as he would love nothing more than to see his parents again.
Now that my Dad has passed away for quite a few years and there has been no sign forthcoming that he is enjoying an afterlife beyond this mortal coil, I have no reason to change my firm opinion on this subject.
However I like the ideas expressed in your post Kid, it would be great to see my Dad again, but preferably in his prime and not as he was in his final days.
Cheers,
Duncan

McSCOTTY said...

I dont believe in an afterlife in the religious sense ie sitting on a cloud playing a harp etc. But I'm not 100% that when it's over it's over there may be something else though I doubt that would be for eternity. Ideally it would be nice to meet family and friends again when we pass on, I'm not bothered about material items they're just things that are ok to have when alive but i would hope they were meaningless when or if there is something else. It would be nice if when you die you go back to the start for another go ie the 1960s onwards lol see if we can do it better

Kid said...

Ooh, two good answers there, D and McS. I hope there is some kind of survival of the 'soul' after death, or what's the point of it all I find myself wondering. However, consciousness seems to be inextricably linked to our mortal bodies and didn't exist before we were born, so why should it continue to exist after we die? But hopefully there is something and not just everlasting night. As for reincarnation, thanks for giving me the chance to reuse the old joke, McS - "I don't believer in reincarnation, though I used to when I was a giraffe." Boom-boom.

Phil S said...

Take them with you .
As far as life after death goes I’m afraid I have no evidence and have plenty to show the opposite. To paraphrase Sam Harris, we know which parts of the brain do what. We know from war and car accidents. We don’t know how these functions survive the death of the brain and body.
Your brain isn’t like a radio transmitter and even if it was once the transmitter is turned off you drop broadcasts. Hopefully in your case not for a long time since you’re my UK comics connection !

Kid said...

I'm not planning on going anywhere any time soon, PS, but unfortunately we don't always get to have a say when it's our time to go. Thing is, if I took everything with me, I'd need a coffin the size of a house. If it was a cremation, my possessions would have to be done in instalments, so it would take a couple of months. I'll be here as long as I can - wouldn't want to disappoint an appreciative Criv.

TC said...

Make out your will and leave both ducks to a friend or relative who will keep both together, and who, in turn, will specify in his or her will that both ducks go together to the next heir, and so on.

In Heaven, the police are British, the mechanics are German, the lovers are French, the cooks are Italian, and it's all organized by the Swiss.

In Hell, the cops are German, the cooks are British, the lovers are Swiss, the mechanics are French, and it's all organized by the Italians.

Kid said...

I wouldn't leave the steam of my piss to my relatives, TC, and most of them are older than me anyway. My friends are around the same age and I'm hoping to outlive them, so I hope to discover that the ducks are priceless collectors' pieces which will go on display in a museum once I'm gone.

Who runs what in Limbo?



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