Posted by:
Nightingale
(
)
Date: October 04, 2022 06:49PM
Jack Thomas, Journalist at the Boston Globe, eulogized himself, in effect, in an article in July 2021 after he was told he had a terminal illness with not long to live.
His writing style is easy and his sentiments endearing. His gentle religious and political jabs are amusing. I thought some may enjoy reading his essay. It’s the funny comments about religious beliefs that I appreciated. Maybe some of you will too. (I identify with his description about “embrace[ing] all viewpoints” – lol).
Mr. Thomas:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/21/magazine/i-just-learned-i-only-have-months-live-this-is-what-i-want-say/?utm_source=pocket-newtabExcerpts:
“I just learned I only have months to live. This is what I want to say.”
“My first story was in 1958, so publication of this essay today marks the eighth decade that my writing has appeared in the Globe.”
“As a teenager, I often wondered how my life would change if I knew that I would die soon. Morbid, perhaps, but not obsessed. Just curious. How does a person live with the knowledge that the end is coming? How would I tell family and friends? Would I be depressed? Is there an afterlife? How do you get ready for death, anyhow?”
“Atop the list of things I’ll miss are the smiles and hugs every morning from my beautiful wife, Geraldine, the greatest blessing of my life. I hate the notion of an eternity without hearing laughter from my three children. And what about my 40 rose bushes? Who will nurture them? I cannot imagine an afterlife without the red of my America roses or the aroma of my yellow Julia Childs.” (Apparently, he had a thing about Julia).
“I wish the afterlife were arranged so that I could hear Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 again and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, especially the one in D for two violins and cello. In the afterlife right away, I’d test whoever’s in charge immediately by requesting “Till We Meet Again” with George Lewis, who played the clarinet with as much dexterity and imagination as Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, yet never received the same fame because he was Black.”
“And then, I hope for a playlist that includes Nina Simone’s “The Laziest Gal in Town” and everything by Sarah Vaughan, especially “Easter Parade” with Billy Eckstine, and while we’re at it, let’s throw in Bessie Smith singing “Nobody in Town Can Bake a Sweet Jellyroll Like Mine.”
“I was raised Episcopalian, though I didn’t turn out to be a very good one. Unlike Roman Catholics, Jews, and atheists, we Episcopalians are very good at fence-sitting. We embrace all viewpoints, and as a result, we are as confused as the Unitarians.”
“How is it possible that there could be more than 100 thousand million stars in our Milky Way, let alone who can say how many millions upon millions more in other galaxies, and yet, among them all, there is no planet that supports life? Imagine how newspapers will report that discovery!”
“After I die, I’m not expecting the world, but this business about the afterlife is more complicated than what they describe in the Bible. The experts say more than 100 billion humans have died. If you’re looking for a buddy to have a beer, like jazzman Dave McKenna or writer Jerry Murphy or possibly Peter Falk who played Columbo, how are you going to find him in a mob of 100 billion people?”
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Jack Thomas passed away at home on October 1, 2022, age 83.
I can relate to Mr. Thomas’ words because I’ve always felt, from a young age, that after I die, especially if I know ahead of time that death is approaching, I will “miss” not knowing what happens next. As if life is a great big amazing mystery novel and you absolutely must know how it all turns out. Forever. Silly thing from childhood that I can’t shake.
In his final line Mr. Thomas wrote:
"I just wish I could stay a little longer."
I can relate to that. I sure wish it for my mum and dad just because I enjoyed their company. And for their siblings and parents, all of whom I didn't have a chance to spend enough time with or to get to know as well as I would have liked because we lived on different continents. They're all reduced to DNA now for me as I am so curious about our origins (although I can guess the likely findings) so I'm going to spit in a bottle to hopefully discover answers to at least some of my unasked questions. I regret not asking the former generations for their stories firsthand. Not only about the places where they came from but about them as people and their lives as well as those of their parents. I don't even know the maiden name of my paternal grandmother. That one should be fairly easy to discover I'd hope, because I can likely track down a marriage certificate. It's amazing, though, how often spelling errors creep into records. My maternal grandmother's maiden name, for instance, is spelled two different ways on the same certificate. Attention to detail should be crucial on such valuable paperwork, you'd think.
This is my favourite line in Mr. Thomas' essay:
"Unlike Roman Catholics, Jews, and atheists, we Episcopalians are very good at fence-sitting. We embrace all viewpoints, and as a result, we are as confused as the Unitarians.”
I can relate to that. :)
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2022 07:04PM by Nightingale.