The Losing Card, I'll Someday Lay

Some of your may recognize this line from the M*A*S*H theme entitled Suicide is Painless.  I'm unsure if the title will fit the below text, but it's what came to mind when I began the post.  Of the lyrics of Suicide is Painless, "The Losing Card, I'll Someday Lay" is my favorite.  I like the rhythm of the text as well as the underlying notes.  It also sounds the most poetic to me of the available lyrics within the song.  The metaphor present is based in truth--at least from my perspective.

Eventually, we will all play the losing card.  For some of us that may be simply the final breath we draw as we end many years of the experience of life.  Others may unknowingly play that card, when cranking up their vehicle one unlucky morning or evening.  Some others may willingly play that card, when they determine their life should end.

Other lyrics of the song lack certainty--especially the title.  There is no true way to know.  At the moment of death, we cross into the next plane of existence with no opportunity to express to the remaining mortals wether or not the last moment of life was with or without pain.  However, our potential to play the losing card is absolute.  It will happen.  The only question is when.

The quesiton of when is a whole discussion within itself.  I question the wisdom of describing my position on this blog.  Unfortunately, educators are governed by the court of public opinion, which, or course, rarely considers facts and is immune to objectivity.  Mental health and its pathologies are still taboo for many folks; thus, me trying to objectively discuss the issue of suicide strikes me as unwise.

The above curbing of my words disturbs me, for I try to live by two principles:  (1) Do not live in fear and, most importantly (2) Truth always.  How can I live by "truth always" when I said I "do not live in fear," yet, succumb to the potential of above paragraph?

Comments

[Dechelle Minor]

I know this post is about the strongest, realest most feared aspect of the human life but the underlying thing here jumped out from between the lines. Or maybe I just read too much into it.

You know it upsets me when I hear about people, my friends in particular, being unable to express or discuss things that are relevant to them, their lives and even their jobs due to some constriction in life - family, job, religious, political or social affiliation. It just makes no sense to me.

Do we know that your workplace is absolutely monitoring the things you put here, if so WHY? Aren't there budgets and students that warrant more attention than the thoughts and feelings of an educator. Really! The double standard of wanting our teachers to be "people" and then telling they are not allowed to be just that... I'm ranting. Sorry.

Good Post. Excellent post because I can feel my blood boiling beneath the surface.