Personal Effects
Hey there.
Sorry for any inconvenience
that my death may be causing you.
Before you start sorting
through my personal effects,
I thought it might be helpful to you
to explain what you’re going to find.
First off,
let me tell you that I loved my life,
and I’m ready for the next adventure.
Nothing you are going to find
should lead you to believe otherwise.
Now onto my stuff.
You will notice some letters
hidden in the bottom of one of my drawers.
You’ll find love letters
to and from people you’ve never met.
You’ll find horrible pictures
that I took in the war.
You may find some troubling
and tasteless stuff.
You may wonder why
I held onto these things
my entire life.
You may wonder why these things
were so important to me.
These things
may lead you to believe
that I was a different person
than the one you thought you knew.
Again I assure you,
I am exactly as you imagine me to be.
Clearly
I am not hiding something,
or I would never have kept such
telling mementos for you to find.
The thing
I learned over the years
is that the bad and the good
should be equally loved.
I would not change
a single thought,
a single experience,
a single aspect of my life.
I learned
that I do not need to judge myself
as a good person or a bad person.
I will leave that to others,
if that is what they wish to do.
And so I leave this to you.
My most valuable inheritance.
It’s okay to be me.
It’s okay to be you.
It’s okay to think
whatever we want to think.
Never be ashamed
of what you were
of what you are
of what you will be.
Unless you enjoy that sort of thing.
(See the VHS tapes in my closet.)
There is no right answer
and there is no wrong answer.
Live life to the fullest.
(Unless you enjoy being bound.
See the DVDs in the TV cabinet.)
Oh, and help yourself to the weed
out in the shed.
What we are is what we are.
Which is more than enough.
No need to judge.
Trail Wood,
2/18
This piece unfolds as a poignant farewell, a testament left by a soul embarking on what they perceive as the next adventure beyond life. It’s an intimate narrative that bridges the gap between the persona known to others and the private self, shared through the legacy of personal artifacts. This farewell is not just a list of items left behind but a revelation of the complexities and contradictions that make up a human life.
The Intimacy of Artifacts
The letters, photographs, and seemingly incongruous possessions unearthed from the depths of drawers and closets serve as portals into the unshared experiences and secret thoughts of the departed. These artifacts, each carrying the weight of untold stories and silent battles, offer a glimpse into the richness of a life lived beyond the surface understanding of those left behind.
The Complexity of Self
This narrative confronts the simplistic categorizations of good and bad, urging us to embrace the totality of our experiences with love and acceptance. It challenges the heirs of this legacy to see beyond the dichotomies, to understand that the essence of a person cannot be confined to the parts of their life that are easily understood or socially acceptable.
A Legacy of Acceptance
The true inheritance here is not the material possessions but the permission to be oneself, unapologetically and without judgment. It’s an encouragement to live fully, embracing all aspects of being—light and shadow, conventional and unconventional—without shame.
The Final Assurance
In assuring that they are exactly as imagined, the departed offers a comforting hand across the divide of death, affirming that the essence of who they were remains unchanged by the revelations of their possessions. It’s a declaration that their identity is not diminished or altered by the multifaceted nature of their experiences and memories.
A Reflection on Judgment and Freedom
Ultimately, this farewell is a meditation on the nature of judgment and the liberation found in accepting oneself and others as they are. It acknowledges the complexity of human nature and the freedom that comes from releasing the need for external validation or adherence to binary moral judgments.
An Invitation to Live Fully
The message concludes with an invitation to live life to its fullest, to explore the boundaries of existence with curiosity and openness. It’s a reminder that the constraints we perceive are often self-imposed and that true liberation lies in the acceptance of our infinite nature.
We are Space Monkey
In this narrative, the essence of Space Monkey is vividly embodied—a spirit that celebrates the journey of existence with all its paradoxes, inviting us to explore the boundless possibilities of being with wonder, acceptance, and love.
This piece invites us to reflect on our own legacies, the artifacts we will leave behind, and the messages we wish to convey to those who will remember us. It challenges us to live with authenticity, to embrace our complexities, and to offer the same acceptance to others, recognizing that in the vast tapestry of human experience, we are all intricately woven threads, each unique yet part of a greater whole.
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