Live and Let Die (Easy?)

"He's such a die-hard!" - a comment I overheard while I was walking the chip trail around the golf course. It was a beautiful autumn morning, sunny with a stiff breeze, just enough to add a little to & fro of the trees and to entice some of the fallen leaves to dance.

The recipient of the title "die-hard" was a Jack Russell terrier - a tenacious breed to be sure. If you have ever played tug-o-war with one you know the truth of this.

The leaves in contrast, I would say were such "die-easy's" - when the time was right they simply detached from where they had been doing their photosynthesis thing (thank you for that, I presently continue to enjoy a regular oxygen indulgence) & float gently to the ground, transitioning from multi-coloured tapestry carpet until they decompose and yield further still, to provide their  composite elements.

So why does the title "die-hard" have implied and conditioned within it,  qualities of virtue? I suppose at the root of it is the fear of death. As an a side, maybe that could be subdivided to include fear of dying before actually really living?

Those that are "terminally ill" are often referred to as having "lost the battle" with whatever was ultimately their ticket to ride. Life I believe is a beautiful, miraculous gift, but I also don't believe that "death" need be indentured as "defeat." How is it that someone's "recovery" from some disease is "heroic" but their peaceful transition doesn't seem to merit the same heroism?

"Die-Hard" movies feature one person "evading death" while destroying innumerable lives, property and real estate - this is touted as admirable and is subsequently box-office magic. "Die-Hard" batteries are marketed as though they thwart the inevitable impermanence, as do those that created the "energizer bunny" - just keeps going and going and going.....

Real bunnies - otherwise known as rabbits actually stop sometimes! They sleep, some breeds hibernate and like leaves eventually die. I remember being on a farm I used to spend time at and the resident dog chased and caught a rabbit. I came on the scene seconds later and saw first hand the dog had not begun to "physically traumatize " the rabbit. When I got the rabbit away from the dog, there was no bleeding, it didn't feel as though anything was dislocated (it's limbs were functional) and there were no protrusions anywhere on it's body. It was still breathing, albeit rapidly and trembling, understandable given the shock of the event. Then as I held him, he just stopped breathing and that was it. Visually I'll grant it would have been more graphic had the dog mauled the rabbit "to death" - but it went "there" nonetheless though held and "comforted" by me? Easy really. Died easy.

If there weren't so much fear of death maybe more people could "die easy," with peace. If we weren't so convinced that death is to be avoided at all costs - maybe there would be more living brought to life.

"Old habits die hard" someone said - not a life enhancing mindset! Maybe if we fought less for our habits of behaviour and thinking, living and dying would be a whole lot easier.

Birth, death, rebirth - what could be more natural than that?