Reflections on Life and Death

This post is being written by Joyce as I am preparing to take part in a group art exhibition by the Printmakers at the Bribie Island Community Art Centre from 8 to 24 September this year.  The theme of the exhibition is Reflections.   The coffins will be part of my contribution to the exhibition.

Reflections on Life and Death

Two Coffins

Two coffins: one for me, and one for our civilisation

Two imminent deaths….two endings….

A reminder that in a short but unknown time all will be over.

Two coffins celebrating that we are NOW alive

And filled with awe and gratitude

For the beauty and the terror of it all.

Hallelujah!

The simple truth is that everything dies – nothing lasts forever. I will die, and the civilisation that we are part of will die.

The biggest question is when. For me, now approaching my 71^st birthday, any day could easily be my last, and my death will almost certainly come within 30 years, probably much sooner. Our civilisation is facing an even earlier death, with rampant, now irreversible climate change, leading to unbearable temperature increases, droughts, and crop failures, making the end likely much sooner, possibly in as little as 5 or 10 years.

And why the coffins?

First to make both approaching deaths more real to me and to others, and to challenge us all to appreciate more fully every day. Hallelujah, an interjection of joyous praise, expresses my joy at the privilege of being alive at this complex. challenging and exciting time.

Secondly, decorating the coffins has helped me clarify what is important to me and to our civilisation, and enhanced my gratitude for life.

Thirdly, I now have the security of knowing that when I die, circumstances permitting, my body will be cradled, transported, and cremated in an object of beauty made with love – for me a final protest to our over-industrialised world.

My Coffin

The top is an attempt to summarise the wisdom I have learned from life.  The sides are the things that have been of greatest importance to me.  The head and foot panels are my two homes.

 

 Coffin for Civilisation

After having made my coffin, I realised I also needed a coffin for our civilisation, to help me prepare for the end of much or all of man's creations.  This coffin is only symbolic, as civilisation, even in death cannot be confined to a single container, in contrast to my own coffin which is made to hold my body, and probably to be cremated with it.. 

The coffin for civilisation will hopefully alert others to the fragility and now very limited life span of our civilisation, in the hope that they can work towards their own personal reconciliation to our fate, and see the beauty, as well as the terror of our ending. Mankind has thoughtlessly destroyed our home in many ways, and we must now reap the consequences of our greed.

 

Similarly to my own coffin, the top summarises my response to the coming death of civilisation in a single word, Hallelujah,  that contains all my awe and wonder at all the beauty and creativity mankind has been able to express in this world, the wonder of being alive - and the amazing way that we are destroying it all - some of which are noted around the outside.  The sides represent many of the ways the earth has supported humanity, including the unseen mysteries which add such richness and meaning to life.

 

If you would like to explore further ideas that consider the possibility of a near-term end to our civilisation in light of current scientific knowledge, a good place to start is https://guymcpherson.com/    Guy is probably one of the most outspoken people from his concerns that most scientists are not clearly putting together all current information on the coming effects of climate change - but he is far from alone.

2016!!!!

2016!!!!!!!

It still seems unreal to be writing at the end of 2016 – where have all the years gone???

2016 is a milestone year for us – Joyce celebrated her 70th birthday in style on 5 November meaning we have both now passed the magic three score and ten mark – and certainly consider every year from now on a privilege and a bonus – but NOT a right. As we age, we have become more concerned about how our society has been making marking of the years for as long as possible a right, and almost a badge of honour without considering either quality of life, or the costs to our society. Interesting insights to how our society is handling death can be found in Stephen Jenkinson's book, Die Wise. At his website www.orphanwisdom.com.

The other milestone for us is the death of Bob's mother, Kath Matskows, in November at the age of 95. Her journey in the last years of her life, especially her last years being 'well-cared for' in a nursing home has certainly made us more reflective on how we would like to complete our life journeys. Making the Christmas card list this year also brought home how many friends and relatives have died in recent years – and how this list will continue to grow. The greatest challenge to us all is to accept and grow through endings and change – and death is certainly the greatest of these.

Life for both of us, as for most of our friends, has been somehow more frenetic this year as we try to pack in as much as possible in response to the rush of time.

Joyce has again had an adventure trip – this time a 3 week (2 X 10 days) backpacking expedition onto the escarpment in Kakadu National Park – which was a very rewarding challenge, and an interesting area to visit. Getting fit for the trek involved walking and carrying a backpack wherever I went on Bribie, as well as exploring many untracked areas of the Island for several months before the trip.

The recorder group which had been a major part of Joyce's life for over 20 years broke up at Easter, and regrouped on the Sunshine Coast to become the Sunshine Coast Recorder Group, meeting on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays . Although the new group is smaller than the old one, the four of us who have been playing together regularly have been enjoying exploring the group's extensive collection of music – and are sounding better and better all the time!! I am also still playing bass recorder with the Bribie Island Orchestra, and soprano in a newly-formed and very successful Celtic music group.

Artistically, the focus of my year was the Printmaker's 'Trans.form' exhibition in August and the building of a meanderinglabyrinth at the Bribie Island Community Arts Centre . 

 Bob has been very busy helping with the construction of a butterfly house on Bribie - and  has required all his organisational skills to bring in reality a very complex and logistically challenging project.  Opening date will hopefully be sometime in 2017...

 He continues to be an enthusiastic golfer, playing 2 to 3 times weekly, and to be president of the Bribie Island Bicycle Users Group.  Both of us ride regularly with the group, which has become an important social centre for many of the about 40 active members.  

Janet is still in Geraldton, after an interesting and rewarding 7 month break in the middle of the year in Mauritius with a post graduate course in Endangered Animal Management run by the Gerald Durrell Foundation.  Like many in her field of environmental management, she continues to work on short-term contracts which are becoming increasingly scarce.

Craig is in Atlanta Georgia, and enjoying yearly skiing expeditions to Canada and France.
  

Joyce's brother Alan, sister-in-law Linda, and niece Heather visited for 2 weeks in November - it was great to be able to catch up with them, especially as we both are feeling hesitant about any more overseas travel as we have already had the privilege of seeing a wide range of places, and would like to spend more time exploring close to home.  Who knows what the future might bring!!

We will be spending Christmas in Geraldton with Janet catching up on her adventures, and talking about the coming year.  Our thoughts will be with our many friends around the world as we celebrate the beauty of our world.

Love and wishes for flexibility and a sense of humor when facing the joys and challenges of 2017,

Joyce and Bob

2015 XMAS BLOG

Bob & Joyce Newell, Bribie Island, Australia

The year 2014 to 2015 transition found us on the high seas in the Southern Ocean with swells of 3-4 metres from the west and on top of that up to 1 metre wind waves from the north-east. The ship rolled and pitched in a confusing fashion so we were all a bit green around the gills especially poor Janet who was quite seasick. 

Fortunately New Years found us at the Campbell Islands returning from Macquarie Island and just a day and two nights of the high seas before docking in Bluff on the far south of the south island of New Zealand. Despite the confused seas and quite cool and windy weather we have had a fantastic trip walking on the amazing subantarctic islands, viewing prolific wildlife and kayaking in calm inlets and wild seas – it seems we were the first tourists to kayak at Macquarie Island. 

The following pictures will give you a little taste of the trip:

Once on dry land again in Invercargill, NZ we hired a car and drove west and north spending three nights in Te Anu and two in Queenstown before returning to Australia and a bit of “rest and recovery”.



At the end of January we camped a night at Neurim Creek via Mt Mee and in February two nights at Forest Glen, during which Bob threw caution to the winds visiting the coast and ordering a new bike from the Electric Bike Centre – a Gazelle Orange C7+ Step-Through for $3750. The pedelec nature of the bike has done wonders gently strengthening his knees to the point that he no longer complains or hobbles up the stairs.

The next few months were quiet with Bob concentrating on playing golf, riding the bike, watching rugby league and a bit of stained glass. Joyce playing recorder, bike riding and catching up with friends. Together we kayaking in the passage and enjoyed a kayak camping trip to Mission Point (up the Pumicestone Passage).

Joyce went on her third Camel Walking Trip for three weeks in June/July and again she enjoyed the outback experience near the Northern Territory-Queensland border immensely.


August was our next big trip taking the overnight train to Cardwell on the far north Queensland coast from where we hired a double expedition kayak and took a leasurely ten days to kayak the about 100 km from Lucinda to South Mission Beach.

We started along the east coast of Hinchinbrook Island and Goold Island. Then there was a long paddle across to the Family Islands where we camped on Coombe Island. Finally we island hopped north to South Mission Beach in choppy windy seas sheltering behind each island for a short rest.

There we had two days to repack before taking the overnight train home from Tully – for “rest and recovery” again.

Towards the end of September Joyce's printmaking group put on a one week exhibition at the Arts Centre gallery. One of Joyce's initiatives was a labyrinth outlined on the gallery floor in dried Banksia leaves of which there is no shortage on Bribie.

In October we enjoyed a few days at Bellthorpe Stays in the first of their new cabins (came on two semi-trailers and bolted together). Lots and lots of walks taken and birds seen, including Regent Bower birds from the veranda.

The end of October saw Joyce and friend Kim Bennie take a conducted walk along the coast of New South Wales near Yamba. One highlight was three brolgas grazing by the track as they passed.



November saw both Bob and Joyce convert to “stand-up” computer desks so we shall see how that goes over the next few months.


Craig, now 40!!!, and his partner, Karen Donogue, moved to Atlanta Georgia at the end of March, and continues to enjoy the busy and well-paid life of a IT geek. 

Janet, now 35, is still managing to go from contract to contract with her work as an ecologist focusing on endangered plants around Geraldton, Western Australia.  One of her main projects, a planting of 23,00 trees mid-year was blessed with 50 mm rain from a localised storm just a few days after planting finished.  She is spreading her wings in 2016 to spend 6 months in Mauritius from April studying Endangered Species Management as part adventure, and partly to update and broaden her knowledge of the field.

This Christmas will be a visit from Janet and a stay at home/visit family affair for Bob. Joyce will be again at the Woodford Folk Festival from December 20th till just after the New Year volunteering and partaking.

Plans for 2016 include a 3 week trek off track in Kakadu National Park for Joyce in June
http://www.bushwalkingholidays.com.au/ksc2.shtml (this time without camels to carry the loads, so lots of get-fit preparation, and hopefully some overnight walks will be needed!).  We also hope to organise a kayaking trip in the Whitsunday Islands. 

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all our family and friends.