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Sour Towards New Dimensions You know, I have been dead so many times that I tend to view life from a slightly different perspective than most people. Some things that outwardly appear to be serious are not, in my opinion. While other things that do not appear serious, really are to me. The saying "that ain't nothin'" became one of my catch phrases after a man pulled a knife on a friend and me one night, years ago. The knife terrified my friend. But after all I have been through in my life, a little pocket knife wasn't worrying me. I looked at the guy, looked at the knife, and started to laugh. As I disarmed the situation, I said to my friend, "Ah, that ain't nothin'!" The story stuck and the legend grew. So, this monthly column will be all about my unique viewpoint of current events, world affairs, spirituality, politics, science, medicine and life in general. Of course, it will all depend on what kind of mood I happen to be in! This month, I'm in a serious mood, and I want to write about the Euthanasia issue now before the Supreme Court. The success of the movies, Million Dollar Baby, and Espana are both testimonies to the moral dilemma we are facing in the arena of life and death, which is compounded by the large numbers among our nation's aging population. As the result of being a hospice volunteer for almost 30 years, I have struggled with this issue myself. The official stand of my non-profit volunteer organization, The Twilight Brigade, is solid: we do not support euthanasia. However, my personal stand is not so solid; I am not so sure what is right. With the advancements of science and medicine, antibiotics and life support equipment, life can be prolonged passed the state of true quality. In other words, the body can be kept breathing, just merely existing, indefinitely. The serious nature of this issue is moral. Our own selfish need to hold on to someone we love, as opposed to letting them go on to the next stage of life, must be examined and dealt with by all of us. The spiraling cost of healthcare demands that we ask ourselves, what is the value of a life? How much are we willing to spend to maintain a vegetative state of existence? I, for one, not only know that there is a life after death, but I have also witnessed the wondrous journey awaiting each of us on the other side. Yet, I still wrestle with my conscience over the righteousness of euthanasia. This issue will not go away. We are being polarized, to one side or the other, by this fierce debate between politicians, lawmakers and religious leaders. We need to open our minds, and explore our own hearts as to what we believe the answer to be. Other countries believe it is not only right, they believe it is humane. In Oregon, the state's euthanasia law is being contested in the Supreme Court. The ramifications of this decision will be far-reaching. Like it or not, it will effect us all. So, write and let me know how you feel about this! In a more uplifting frame of mind, my thoughts direct me towards the power of music. Music is like oxygen and water; it reminds us we are physical and spiritual human beings. When you hear great music it feeds our souls and is even employed as a therapeutic agent when dealing with pain management, and during the dying process. Music has emotional and healing properties that have been a powerful force in the human species from the beginning of time. Music also lends great entertainment value, which the arts have tapped into for decades, including theater, cinema and other rituals. Hollywood has used music to capture the spirit and imagination of millions worldwide, it is the planet's common language and motivates us throughout our daily lives, whether it's listening to music in the car, watching a movie or playing games. Steven Spielberg, the greatest film maker of our time, has said that "Sound and music make up more than half of communicating a story, greater even than what you're seeing." He took this belief to a whole new level when he asked composer John Williams to write the score for The Close Encounters of the Third Kind - before filming was started. Music is one of the main characters of this audio-visual masterpiece that explores where science meets fiction. Music is all around us and if we choose in accordance with our instincts, it can provide us with a powerful, unifying energy and is a great resource for bringing people together. On a healthcare level the most exciting areas of evolvement in music is the healing components enabled for creating peace and harmony as well as the emotional impact upon today's youth , the makers of tomorrow's world. The latest and greatest outlet for music in the modern and future ages of entertainment is through interactive enlightenment where families are joined together. One emerging platform is through the often surreal and virtual worlds of videogames, offering dimensional realities that may possibly be used beyond the gaming experience one day. Other visionaries of fantasia such as Lord
of the Rings director Peter Jackson are also embracing the communicative
power of music and games. "When I think of the future potential
of entertainment, it's games that excite me, not movies. Whereas
the structure of telling stories through movies has become formulaic,
we are only just beginning to touch on the potential of games." (Entertainment
Weekly #807, Feb 18, 2005)
Although in the infancy stage of its development,
more and more of our children and (not-so-young) friends are experiencing
the online communities and artistic freedom of the music featured
in these gaming worlds. Thanks to the crusading efforts of our
friends over at www.music4games.net we
are seeing a whole new appreciation and deep connection to music,
where the game player becomes the director of their audio-visual
experience. These virtual arenas may be an extension of ourselves
and hopefully can empower us to be Visit the That Ain't Nothin' Archives
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