The spirit lives on.
I view myself as Agnostic. Which, according to Wikipedia, is "the view that humanity does not currently possess the requisite knowledge and/or reason to provide sufficient rational grounds to justify the belief that deities either do or do not exist."
In other words, I am not willing to make a commitment, either way. But I am willing to confess that my belief that our spirits live on after death grows daily. My own personal experience regarding the loss of my parents and Eddie has shown me that as long as I feel their presence, they are still here.
I also believe that Eddie's spirit (or energy) was so strong during his life that death simply can't extinguish it. And so I arrive back at the definition of Agnostic. I just don't know and am totally fine with finding out the answer once I die.
So then, what of faith? Most if not all religions are based on the concept of faith. The believer has faith that at the end of it all, there is a greater God who is watching, protecting and manipulating our destiny. I find the act of believing in this concept fascinating. I don't disrespect the faithful. I just tend to stand on the sidelines and observe as the faithful follow their rituals and say their prayers. And many times, I am moved by what I see to the point of tears.
I recently visited Italy - The home of Catholicism or Christianity depending on your point of view and knowledge of history. There are a lot of faithful people there. They journey from all over the world to visit The Vatican and pray in St. Peter's Square.
Religion is big business there. And that's ok. If I believe in anything, it is Capitalism, so if you want to sell a Pope bracelet to an American tourist for one Euro, knock yourself out. It is, by far, my favorite souvenir.
So it was that me, Eddie's brother, niece and nephew made our way around southern Italy and Rome with the intent to spread Eddie's ashes in special places. The only problem was I kept leaving him in my suitcase. Luckily, Jon had his own stash of ashes and after a spine-tingling ride along the Amalfi coast on truly one of the best roads in the world, we left a bit of him. We are certain that had Eddie been alive and with us, he would have rented a motorcycle and ridden the hell out of that road.
Jon and his family live in Monte di Procida, just outside of Napoli. It is breathtakingly beautiful. The house is owned by Angelo, the retired town doctor and Mont di Procida's version of Archie Bunker. You think we have people who want everyone in America to speak English? Tell that to Angelo. If you don't speak Italian, he has no use for you. And he will stubbornly speak in rapid Italian as if by simply hammering you with his language you will miraculously become fluent. I loved him immediately. Although, I couldn't tell him that.
Angelo is also a wonderful gardener. The grounds around his villa are filled with all the beauty southern Italy has to offer tended compulsively by him. Eddie adored his brother Jon and so it seemed fitting that he should hang out with him and Angelo.
And then there was Rome
I live in Georgia where humidity is king and we KNOW hot. I have traveled to India, which makes Atlanta seem like Minneapolis in February.
I have never felt heat like Rome in June. The only thing that could possibly be worse would be Rome in August. I love the Italians but they really don't have a clue about air conditioning.
But we were troopers and we did all of the requisite touring that tourists are supposed to do in Rome. I knew before I even landed in Italy that Eddie had to go to The Vatican. So, off we trudged in the sweltering morning air to go get in line for The Vatican Museum and The Sistine Chapel. As we stood in line watching a woman in front of us throw up from the heat - it hit me. I forgot Eddie.
My apologies to the faithful - but God Damn It!!!
I cursed my way all the way through the museum, past the amazing sculptures and tapestries showing babies being murdered and didn't stop beating myself up until I reached The Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo managed to shut me up and divert my attention.
I have been obsessed with The Sistine Chapel ever since I watched Charlton Heston in "The Agony and the Ecstasy" when I was about 10 years old. It took my breathe away. And my neck actually started hurting because I couldn't stop looking at it.
We finally made our way to Saint Peter's Basilica and I knew I had no choice. I had to go back to our apartment, retrieve Eddie and bring him to this amazing place.
Eddie was an atheist. He had no patience with organized religion. Yet, like me, he was always interested in the symbolism of religion.
As we made our way through the various museums and sites of Italy, Jon and I joked that if Eddie had been with us we would have needed days rather than hours to tour anything. He would have read every, single description of every, single artifact and committed every, single word to memory.
In other words - he would have LOVED everything about The Vatican.
So, later that evening, when it was only slightly cooler, the four of us made our way back to Saint Peter's Square. And finally, after forgetting him yet again, the container with Eddie's ashes was safely in my purse.
Here is where the faith comes in. Leaving Eddie anywhere near The Vatican during the sweltering, crowded rush of Rome that day would have felt, somehow, wrong.
But in the dark, with the gorgeous lights shining on the majestic square, it all felt totally right. Eddie loved statues, history and symbolism.
And I love the faithful.... and I was brought to tears....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkM7zrrWzPc
_____________________
I started writing this blog last Sunday. On Monday afternoon, June 24th, mine and Eddie's friend, Ardys Kellerman, was killed pulling out of a gas station on a busy highway in Alabama. She was on her way to Atlanta and we had plans to go eat BBQ and take a picture of her with Lyle for the Smoke Chasing Grand Tour - a grand tour run by Jonathan to benefit Eddie's Road. Ardys was one of our most ardent supporters.
She was 81 years old, a great-grandmother and a motorcycling legend. Google her and prepare to be impressed.
It is my belief that Eddie and Ardys are with me at this very moment. They are laughing and telling tall tales of all their adventures.
I look forward to the day when I can join them but for now I'll continue to explore this world.
Lo spirito vive su - The Spirit Lives On
I view myself as Agnostic. Which, according to Wikipedia, is "the view that humanity does not currently possess the requisite knowledge and/or reason to provide sufficient rational grounds to justify the belief that deities either do or do not exist."
In other words, I am not willing to make a commitment, either way. But I am willing to confess that my belief that our spirits live on after death grows daily. My own personal experience regarding the loss of my parents and Eddie has shown me that as long as I feel their presence, they are still here.
I also believe that Eddie's spirit (or energy) was so strong during his life that death simply can't extinguish it. And so I arrive back at the definition of Agnostic. I just don't know and am totally fine with finding out the answer once I die.
So then, what of faith? Most if not all religions are based on the concept of faith. The believer has faith that at the end of it all, there is a greater God who is watching, protecting and manipulating our destiny. I find the act of believing in this concept fascinating. I don't disrespect the faithful. I just tend to stand on the sidelines and observe as the faithful follow their rituals and say their prayers. And many times, I am moved by what I see to the point of tears.
I recently visited Italy - The home of Catholicism or Christianity depending on your point of view and knowledge of history. There are a lot of faithful people there. They journey from all over the world to visit The Vatican and pray in St. Peter's Square.
Religion is big business there. And that's ok. If I believe in anything, it is Capitalism, so if you want to sell a Pope bracelet to an American tourist for one Euro, knock yourself out. It is, by far, my favorite souvenir.
So it was that me, Eddie's brother, niece and nephew made our way around southern Italy and Rome with the intent to spread Eddie's ashes in special places. The only problem was I kept leaving him in my suitcase. Luckily, Jon had his own stash of ashes and after a spine-tingling ride along the Amalfi coast on truly one of the best roads in the world, we left a bit of him. We are certain that had Eddie been alive and with us, he would have rented a motorcycle and ridden the hell out of that road.
Jon and his family live in Monte di Procida, just outside of Napoli. It is breathtakingly beautiful. The house is owned by Angelo, the retired town doctor and Mont di Procida's version of Archie Bunker. You think we have people who want everyone in America to speak English? Tell that to Angelo. If you don't speak Italian, he has no use for you. And he will stubbornly speak in rapid Italian as if by simply hammering you with his language you will miraculously become fluent. I loved him immediately. Although, I couldn't tell him that.
Angelo is also a wonderful gardener. The grounds around his villa are filled with all the beauty southern Italy has to offer tended compulsively by him. Eddie adored his brother Jon and so it seemed fitting that he should hang out with him and Angelo.
And then there was Rome
I live in Georgia where humidity is king and we KNOW hot. I have traveled to India, which makes Atlanta seem like Minneapolis in February.
I have never felt heat like Rome in June. The only thing that could possibly be worse would be Rome in August. I love the Italians but they really don't have a clue about air conditioning.
But we were troopers and we did all of the requisite touring that tourists are supposed to do in Rome. I knew before I even landed in Italy that Eddie had to go to The Vatican. So, off we trudged in the sweltering morning air to go get in line for The Vatican Museum and The Sistine Chapel. As we stood in line watching a woman in front of us throw up from the heat - it hit me. I forgot Eddie.
My apologies to the faithful - but God Damn It!!!
I cursed my way all the way through the museum, past the amazing sculptures and tapestries showing babies being murdered and didn't stop beating myself up until I reached The Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo managed to shut me up and divert my attention.
I have been obsessed with The Sistine Chapel ever since I watched Charlton Heston in "The Agony and the Ecstasy" when I was about 10 years old. It took my breathe away. And my neck actually started hurting because I couldn't stop looking at it.
We finally made our way to Saint Peter's Basilica and I knew I had no choice. I had to go back to our apartment, retrieve Eddie and bring him to this amazing place.
Eddie was an atheist. He had no patience with organized religion. Yet, like me, he was always interested in the symbolism of religion.
As we made our way through the various museums and sites of Italy, Jon and I joked that if Eddie had been with us we would have needed days rather than hours to tour anything. He would have read every, single description of every, single artifact and committed every, single word to memory.
In other words - he would have LOVED everything about The Vatican.
So, later that evening, when it was only slightly cooler, the four of us made our way back to Saint Peter's Square. And finally, after forgetting him yet again, the container with Eddie's ashes was safely in my purse.
Here is where the faith comes in. Leaving Eddie anywhere near The Vatican during the sweltering, crowded rush of Rome that day would have felt, somehow, wrong.
But in the dark, with the gorgeous lights shining on the majestic square, it all felt totally right. Eddie loved statues, history and symbolism.
And I love the faithful.... and I was brought to tears....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkM7zrrWzPc
_____________________
I started writing this blog last Sunday. On Monday afternoon, June 24th, mine and Eddie's friend, Ardys Kellerman, was killed pulling out of a gas station on a busy highway in Alabama. She was on her way to Atlanta and we had plans to go eat BBQ and take a picture of her with Lyle for the Smoke Chasing Grand Tour - a grand tour run by Jonathan to benefit Eddie's Road. Ardys was one of our most ardent supporters.
She was 81 years old, a great-grandmother and a motorcycling legend. Google her and prepare to be impressed.
It is my belief that Eddie and Ardys are with me at this very moment. They are laughing and telling tall tales of all their adventures.
I look forward to the day when I can join them but for now I'll continue to explore this world.
Lo spirito vive su - The Spirit Lives On
The first time I met Eddie was eating burgers with you and Eddie, Ardys, Bob and his wife, and my wife Lisa. It was a wonderfully "easy" night, relaxing, fun. Later we had an opportunity to entertain Ardys at our home for dinner one night and I had fun "Smoke Chasing with her. What a wonderful woman she was. She was like a magnet with people drawn to her to maybe have some of her "life force" rub off on them. She is missed sorely as is Eddie. I know that with time my eyes will not water when I remember them, but that time is a not now. Ride on Ardys and Eddie.
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