That is a semi-obscure reference. 100 internets to the comment that gets it! That said here is the article.
My name is Austin Jennings, here for the first time on the Weasel Report! I am a long time friend and associate of Weasel. We have done a few podcasts (most notably our Weasel and Jennings show!), and now I’m here on the Weasel Report! I am going to be one of the new staff writers here and I am quite looking forward to it. I personally love video games and quite enjoy them. I don’t know that I am a certain Genera fan, since I have all sorts of stuff… let’s see… Halo, WoW (Horde FTW!), Eve Online, Star Trek: Elite Force (one AND two thank you), Guild Wars… the list goes on. Games are awesome. I’m going to be more of an editorial writer here, so less game news, more ranty news! :D Everyone likes reading ranty news right? Right!?
So yeah, here I am. I’m an open individual, I think that our current political system is bunk, and I am near certain that we are all going to live through 2012.
But since 2012 is coming and half the world is OMGZ WE ARE GOING TO DIEZ, I wanted to broach a pretty personal subject for me. I know that this is my first article, but I am going to talk about death. This is the part where the true fans stay or go right. Death is something, as much as we do not want it to be, inevitable. There is (for now) no good way via Science or anything else to skip death with, but in this writers’ opinion, and belief, it is not the “End” (I capitalized the E for effect). I am a member of the Mormon church, so I have an interesting view on death. See, I believe that Death is merely the next part of the plan. I believe that we came here to earth to live, get a life experience and eventually die.
That is the “doctrine” of my church. Its what I believe, and how I feel about it. I do not think that death is something to be afraid of or to not talk about. I have been to a couple of funerals lately and it has made me think. In the video game world, death is never a setback. Sure you may lose some experience points, or be forced to go back to a save point that sucks, but you can always keep playing. People for the most part do not live this way (I say for the most part because, we all know or know of an adrenaline junkie or two), because they are afraid of death. To go to the great <insert over used reference to heaven here> in the sky. It’s scary to not know what awaits us and what is there when we die. Is it heaven? Is it hell? Or is it nothing, simply no longer existing.
Death for me is not scary. Death is simple, I suppose. Sure there is the chance of pain and weakness leading up to death, but the whole dying part is not something I fear. What I fear more is the thought that I would stop existing. Trying to imagine all of the good things (and bad I suppose) I have done and all of the friends I have made, the people I have loved, and the things I have seen simply disappearing into the black is a horrible thought. I would rather have not existed at all than to cease existing. Living life has been far too worth it to not have it any more. No, I know that everyone is allowed their own opinion, but I will stick to this till I die (har har har). Death is not simply the “End” (there is that E again!).
Anyway, I know that death is something that can be hard for people. I know that sometimes the circumstances that lead up to someone’s death are sometimes very bad. My uncle died of cancer in 2005 and that was probably the worst experience I remember in my life. He was in pain constantly, and was literally being eaten from the inside out. The funny thing is that he was always a character of strength in my life, so seeing him brought down like that was tough. As hard as it was for me through he always tried to look strong. I remember Christmas 2004, which was the last time we as a family saw him alive, he looked quite well. He was putting on a wonderful… I don’t even know what to call it, facade maybe… and he just looked happy, like he knew what was going to happen but he was OK with it because he would finally get a break. The funeral was a lot easier than I expected it to be looking back. In the months before he died, he got super skinny and well the rest is obvious. I was a pallbearer at the funeral, and the thing I remember most, was how light he seemed. It wasn’t just that there were others helping, we all felt as though there was nothing to it. It was odd, but it was good. I knew that my uncle was finally getting the rest he needed and was doing what he needed to do in the spirit world.
What? You are wondering what this spirit world thing I am talking about is? Well after we die I (and members of the Mormon church) believe that we do not go straight to heaven, but we go to a place called the spirit world. This is not purgatory, its more or less a waiting room for resurrection, which all men will receive, and final judgment. It is a place to relax and wait for the end of the world essentially. Then after that, like I said, all people will be resurrected, thanks to Jesus Christ and the Atonement (thats that thing he did in the garden of Gethsemane taking the sins of the world on his shoulder, so we could all live again).
So yeah. This is not an article about my beliefs totally, so if you want to know more let me know. I am going to go ahead and end this here, because I am sure that anything else I would say would be repetitive. I am open to discussion on the matter though, just let me know VIA the comment system here. I don’t have a problem talkin’ ’bout belief. I enjoy it actually.
This is Austin Jennings, signing off for the evening!
