An Entry for the Recently Deceased

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Spring is when life bursts from the deceased Winter world. From the dead leaves come flowers, from the snow comes fresh grass, and from the cold nights come breezy, warm evenings. The transition from Winter to Spring is a reflection of the circle of life: animals and people die and from their death comes new life.  In this way, death is given a positive view in which life emerges from the fallen.

However, death is always portrayed as inevitably dark, the final end of something wonderful. People grieve for those who leave this world so suddenly and it’s understandable; they are losing someone near and dear to them. People know that death will come unexpectedly and steal away someone we truly love. It’s portrayed as such in every form of media and appears in our lives.  We have many ideas of death: death of a loved one, a little death (how the French define an orgasm), casting off a part of ourselves and gaining something new, a grand adventure, honor, and many more. These ideas sprout from culture, language, media, and things we generally see or hear about almost every day.

Death is nearly everywhere in physical and mental sense.  It’s something that we have grown to hate and accept because of its unavoidable nature.

But maybe, we should stop viewing death as something so negative. Maybe we should view it as something positive. Not saying it is good to die nor that we should rush to the grave, but it is good that from something we lose, we gain something:  a new life, a new rebirth, a new view.

From the loss of a loved one comes acceptance that we will only see their face in memory, photograph, and/or video.  We can only talk of them and how we knew them and how they made us smile. These are things that we will always have of them that will never leave us.  It’s bittersweet, like tear inducing chocolate.

In a way it’s comforting to know that departed one is in a better place. A place where there’s no pain and they can do whatever they desire and meet some great people.  While they’re doing this, their body is returned to the Earth by means of burial, ash, or specifically designed caskets that are eco-friendly. It’s all a part of life’s grand design and the great circle that endlessly spins.

So yes, grieve those you’ve loved and lost. Don’t be shy to cry at their grave or whenever they pop into your mind. Don’t be worried to miss them, even if they passed on many years ago.  Just know that it’s all a part of life and that they’re somewhere safe, having a grand old time. It won’t be easy to accept at first, but just like death, it is something we must all embrace.

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you like it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what do you think the afterlife is like?

Live Long and Prosper, Mr.Spock

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Last Friday, the world wept at the death of Leonard Nimoy.  People everywhere saluted Nimoy’s sudden demise with the iconic Vulcan hand gesture. Tweets and statuses were made to honor one of the greatest actors of our time. Fanart and comics of Spock spread throughout the web like wildfire as well as Star Trek merchandise. Since February 27^th, the world somehow feels different with the loss of a terrific man.

Leonard Nimoy was a great man who was best known as Mr.Spock in the “Star Trek” series.  Most people could tell it was him no sooner his character appeared on the screen. Not only did this become a famous role in all of television history, but he helped shaped the show itself. Gene Roddenbury (writer and producer of “Stark Trek” book and television series), allowed Nimoy to adjust Spock to his liking which ultimately drew the attention of many viewers. Not only did he revel in his new found fame, but he also assisted behind the scenes by making suggestions and inventing the Vulcan Nerve Pinch which gave way to a bit of backstory to Spock.

I remember Nimoy from my favorite childhood program, ”The Simpsons.” While Nimoy only voice acted in two episodes (“Marge vs the Monorail” and “The Springfield Files”), I distinctly remember his voice and the iconic Simpsonized version of himself.  I believe it was the first time I had ever seen or heard of Leonard Nimoy, but for some reason or another, I was immediately drawn to him. Perhaps it was his voice, his well noted persona, or how he held himself. It wasn’t long until I became a Trekkie/Trekker, watching both the original “Star Trek” series and the new series.

From watching these series and reading up on Nimoy, I discovered a few things that I never knew about him.

5. Voice Acting

Apparently Nimoy did more voice acting that just “The Simpsons.” He also played Master Xehanort in the Kingdom Hearts series. He was also King Kashekim from “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” and another Atlantean King with a video game of the same name. Naturally, he voiced Spock in the many versions of “Stark Trek” from animated television series to online games. He even played the part of Sentinel Prime in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” Nimoy’s last voice acting venture was in a film called “Zambezia” in 2012.

Along with voice acting, Nimoy did audio readings of famous stories like “The Time Machine,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “The Invisible Man,” “The Lost World,” and “The First Men in the Moon.”  He also did narration for many programs and video games such as “Seamen” for the Dreamcast and “Ancient Mysteries” on A&E.


4. Jewish

Nimoy was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family.  When he pursued his acting career, he somehow managed to weave his religion into one of the most iconic phrases in television history. Most of you know this phrase as, “Live long and prosper” (or LLAP as he put on his Twitter).  This mere phrase is a mild adaption of a Jewish prayer called the kohanim that is usually given by Jewish priests.


3. “Vincent”

Along with starring and directing programs, Nimoy wrote a short play based on Vincent Van Gogh. Simply entitled “Vincent”, the one man play takes place a few days after Vincent Van Gogh’s death. Terrible rumors of Van Gogh being a prostitute lover, a poor artist, and a lunatic who took his life were passed through the streets of Paris. In the play, it’s up to Van Gogh’s brother, Theo, to clear his departed sibling’s name and set the record straight.

2. Photography

At one point in his life, Nimoy considered changing his career from acting to photography. Having studied the subject at the University of California, Nimoy was interested in the art of taking pictures.  His work has been featured in R. Michelson galleries in Northampton, Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Nimoy’s work ranged from different beautiful woman to secret personas and wagon wheels. He was a very diverse artist and had a few photography series.

1.  Poetry

While studying photography in the 70s, Nimoy also issued several volumes of poetry. His topics focus on people and emotions and read with a consistent, addictive beat.  His simplistic free verse style suits him. He was able to take such difficult matters such as mankind, loneliness, and love and condense them into miniature verses that packed so much emotion. In a way, his poetry is like Spock: logical, complex, but
very few on words.

Rest in peace, Leonard Nimoy. While you no longer walk this world, you will be remembered in everything that you have ever done. Your life was just as fulfilling as you desired. In life and now in death, you will still continue to inspire people to go boldly where no one has gone before. Thank you for that inspiration and a wonderful life.

Thank you for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, share, and offer any feedback you may have.

So tell me, what did you like best about Leonard Nimoy?