Carter Gates -- Death and Mourning

 December 8, 2022 

Death is a part of life that happens whether we want it to or not, and most of the time, we are not ready for the mourning that will follow. Death can be sudden or it can be expected, but either way, you will be prepared for the pain the follows when you lose someone. I was reminded of this when Dr. Redick spoke about the sudden loss of his friend while walking on the Camino. The video that he made and dedicated to his late friend almost brought me to tears because it was touching and sweet, and conveyed the amount of sadness and pain we feel when a good friend dies. The journey of mourning is different for everyone, and can be more internal and external. Some people are able to deal with it immediately, accept it, and move on. Others grieve for a lot longer, and this could be for different reasons. Some of the reasons could be because the loss was sudden and unexpected, they had something to tell that person, they had plans with them, or it is just hard for them to live their life without that person. 

When it comes to the journey of mourning, people have said there are usually five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It is also said that these stages are our attempt to process change and protect ourselves while we adapt to a new reality. Everyone experiences these stages differently, and some people are able to work through these stages faster than others. I think that part of the reason it is so hard for us to move on and accept the loss is because there is now this empty space in our life, and you do not know how to fill it, and I feel like the hardest part is getting used to that void in your life. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gone Girl

Gone Girl Abhirami Sankaran 2/3/2023 Gone girl is a film about a dysfunctional couple. It follows Nick and Amy. The story begins with Amy's disappearance. All signs point to Nick. There is blood in the house, Amy’s journal detailing abuse, a slew of toys Nick bought, financial problems, a pregnancy, and a life insurance policy that would make Nick a millionaire in the event of Amy’s death. Then, halfway through the film, it is revealed that Amy staged this death. She is alive, though she intends to kill herself to complete the performance, and she plotted all this because Nick betrayed her. They’re whole marriage is based on performance and he dropped his part, and also cheated. This was her idea of revenge. As she states it he took her life and now she would take his.  Gone Girl was a very popular and lauded film (and book). It clearly spoke to something within the cultural consciousness. So I wonder if it has some symbolic value? Some analyses I have watched suggest that the film...
Read more

Carter Gates -- In Baghdad, Dreaming of Cairo

  December 8, 2022  The poem, " In Baghdad, Dreaming of Cairo " was very interesting to read for me, and I enjoyed the discussion we had about it. While I was reading it, I started to relate to the message of the poem. The way I understood it, the main character in Rumi's poem did not realize that what he was looking for was right in front of him, and he ended up going down a dif ferent path just to find it. He went on this journey to Cairo to find some meaning to his life that will satisfy, and at the end, he realizes "there was a treasure for me in Baghdad, ... What I’m longing for lived in my house in Baghdad!" (Rumi). This is a common phenomena that many people have happen to them unintentionally. People nowadays get so caught up in living their lives for other people and according to society's standards, instead of doing what makes them happy. Many people get this feeling that they need something more that they don't have, but don't exactly know...
Read more

Ben Upbin - Musical Theatre Songs and The Hero's Journey

    I was walking to my dorm room while listening to music and I came to a realization that I just had to write about.  After writing my Campbell essay on probably the most outrageous movie I could possibly think of (Shark Boy and Lava Girl will always be near and dear to my heart), I've realized that the formula for the hero's journey can be applied to almost any kind of story.      On the way back to my dorm I happened to be listening to the soundtrack for Beetlejuice the Musical, and I noticed that not only were the songs going through Lydia's progression through the hero's journey, but many of the songs represented specific stages in the hero's journey. Say My Name is Lydia's call to action and refusal of the call as Beetlejuice tries to convince her to say his name. Day-O is supernatural aid as Lydia uses Adam and Barbara, her ghost friends, to possess her dad and businessmen. Day-O also contains the bellyof the beast as Lydia, in desperation due to he...
Read more