I’ve given an enormous amount of thought to dying and the afterlife and such things as that.  I can honestly say I don’t know what happens to  you when you die.  I can honestly say I don’t know if there is an afterlife.  Neither can you if you’re truthful.  We don’t really know.  There will be all kinds of people who claim that they know for sure, but we know in the back of our minds that ain’t true.  Lot’s of people take refuge in religion for these answers.  I think that’s great.  I say use whatever gets you through the night.  I have my own beliefs of which I will not be sharing.  I think there’s way too much sharing these days.  Everyone wants to tell you their damn beliefs.  It usually ends in a fight or trouble of some kind.  Why bother.  Be  happy with your beliefs, but keep them to yourself.  It’ll make the world a happier place, though that is not the subject of this particular sermon.  The subject I wish to gesticulate about (I don’t really know what “gesticulate” means.  It just seemed like a really good word to put right there.  Makes me look smart)  is the existence of an afterlife in and of itself,  irrespective of personal religious views.   

        There needs to be an afterlife.   There are people I need to see again.  One of them just passed away last week.  He and I were having this great conversation two days before he died.  The problem is,  it wasn’t finished.  It was a “to-be- continued” conversation.  The guy I had this conversation with was David, my father-in-law and I valued his opinions greatly.  David spent most of his life as a college professor.  He knew a lot of stuff.  He was very smart.  Our last conversation revolved around the state of the world.  David knew exactly what happened and how it was ruined.  I hate to say exactly who he was blaming, because I don’t want anyone to get confused and start to think I believe this in any way.  I’m going to say it anyway.  Don’t get mad at me.  I’m simply repeating.  He said that women had ruined the world.  He was tired however, so he told me he would explain it all to me the next time we spoke.  We never spoke again.  I really wanted to hear this, not that any amount of arguement and evidence could make me believe it, but because it was going to be a fun discussion rife with wit and laughter.  I’ve been racking my brain trying decide what David was going to say.  What his examples were going to be.  I haven’t come up with anything yet.  At least I haven’t come up with anything I’m comfortable writing about here.  We had lot’s of those  kinds of discussions over the years.  They were always fun and you almost always came away thinking about things differently.  You might not have been persuaded, but at least you got to test what you believe.  That’s what was good about talking with David.  You better be able to defend what you believe or he would eat you alive.  There needs to be an afterlife.  I need to finish that conversation. 

         Last year about this time a good friend of mine died.  He died way too young.  His name was Rocky Carlton and he was the most creative human I’ve ever met.  He wrote songs and  poetry.   Everyone that knew him always believed he could be ultra famous.  He always made sure that never happened.  Only I and a select few friends of his got to hear his creations.  He was truly talented.  It would be nice to see my friend again.  I’d like to hear what he’s created since we last met and I don’t care in what form.  We could re-incarnate as dung beatles for all I care  as long as we could catch up on things.  I don’t want to have 99  virgins.  I’ve never understood how that works anyway.  It seems like much more of a hassle than anything.  Can you imagine asking 99 women if you can go have a beer with an old buddy.  That might take forever,  literally.  I guess golden streets and harps would be fine as long as they go easy on the harps.  I’ve never heard a harp song you could dance to.  Like I say, it doesn’t matter.  As long as it exists and I can have those conversations.