A00171 - Surviving Death
Tonight, I am sitting here in a hotel room in Portland, Oregon. In a few hours, I will venture from this room for a three-hour drive to Shoreline, Washington to attend a celebration of life for my friend and City Attorney's Office colleague, Bill Bonnell
Earlier this evening, I wrote an email to a close personal friend who had wondered if my life was centered around traveling all over the country to attend memorial services or celebrations of life. I wrote back that it does seem that way. Recounting my travels for 2023, I noted that I had attended memorial services or celebrations of life for Thich Nhat Hanh in January in Escondido, California; for my life long inspirational saint, Bernadette Soubirous, in April in Lourdes, France; for my cousin, Shirley Carter, in April in Ontario, California; for my father figure track coach Len Miller in May in Irvine, California; and for my golf and locker room buddy Joe Fong who died at 91 in May but whose celebration of life was held last week (on July 15) at the Rancho Solano Country Club in Fairfield, California. Now, I am going to Shoreline, Washington for Bill Bonnell's celebration of life. This will be followed by an August 15 memorial service for one of my dear Victorville cousins, Rick Piercy, in Apple Valley, California,
and a personal virtual Celebration of Lives ceremony that I am preparing in remembrance of all the Black Alumni, Faculty and Staff on September 12 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the death of Gerald Penny.
So, yes, it does seem that I am surrounded by those who have passed. But, for me, these ceremonies really are a celebration of life ... a celebration of time spent in this physical world and a celebration of a passage to the next.
Recently, I binge watched the Netflix six-part series entitled "Surviving Death"
Quite frankly, the two episodes devoted to mediums who speak to the dead in front of audiences made me cringe. However, the episodes devoted to telling the near-death experiences of people and the impact those experiences had on their lives; the stories about people who had had visitations from departed love ones; the stories about people in hospice care who had visions of being visited by departed loved ones who were anticipating their arrival in the next life; and the stories about the children who had such vivid and detailed memories of their previous adult lives resonated with me as being authentic ... and to being similar to experiences of my own.
Some may scoff at all of this. That I truly understand. However, for the last 50 years, I, for one, have had experiences that lead me so concretely to believe that death is not the end of the journey. Indeed, I invite you all to Google "Everett Jenkins Who's Who" and to read my profile. Once that is done, I encourage you to find one of my books if you can, and to see the dedication at the beginning of the book. You may be surprised.
Death is not the end ... it is the door to a new adventure.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Portland, Oregon
July 22, 2023
P.S. What I found so interesting about the email thread below is that it popped up when I was looking for another correspondence about another woman named Carol. It just so happened that this thread popped up on Nelson Mandela Day when I was looking for another correspondence about life after death. And it just so happened that this thread contained a "spirited" communication from this Amherst Carol... who transitioned in 2018.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
To:
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at 06:14:58 AM PDT
Subject: Nelson Mandela Day and Surviving Death
Today is Nelson Mandela Day. I am working on a piece regarding surviving death in conjunction with the Netflix series entitled Surviving Death. However, I needed to write something about Nelson Mandela. In a strange coincidence, I came upon this thread which in many ways addresses both subjects at the same time.
There will be more about this later, but for now, please read and understand that death is not the end of our journey.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
On Wed, Jan 8, 2014 at 10:12 AM, Everett Jenkins <skipjen2865@aol.com> wrote:
Peter, Carol, Steve and Andy,Thank you all for contributing to this discussion. And Peter, thank you for providing the genealogical update on our founding father. I was aware that some DNA testing had been performed but I was not aware that it had conclusively proven that Thomas Jefferson was the father as opposed to his nephew or some other Jefferson relative. However, I do think it is safe to say that Thomas Jefferson lived with many contradictions ... as do we all. One of the biggest contradictions I live with today is that in many ways our country is more segregated today than it was when I was growing up. I recently returned to my high school alma mater, Victor Valley Senior High School in Victorville, California. When I attended the school the city had a population of 15,000 and the high school was the only high school in town. At that time, the high school was predominantly white with about 15 percent African Americans and 15 percent Mexican. Today, some 42 years later, the population of Victorville is over 100,000 and there are at least three high schools in the City, including a Christian high school. I cannot speak to the racial composition at the other two schools but at my alma mater it appears that the school is now about 45 percent African American 45 percent Mexican and 10 percent white. This trend appears to be happening nationwide. See the article below:What of the problems with regard to showing 12 Years a Slave to high school civics classes (aside from is portrayal of nudity, sexual situations, and graphic violence) is first, many school districts no longer teach civics and second, the audience that would viewing the movie is most likely to be segregated by race.Sadly, a viewing of 12 Years a Slave and having a meaningful discussion about it may best occur at the college level ... or as here amongst those who once attended the Fair College on the Hill.Peace, ... and Terras Irradient... Always,Everett "Skip" Jenkins-----Original Message-----
From: Peter
To:
Sent: Wed, Jan 8, 2014 5:28 am
Subject: Re: [AMHERST-1975] Mandela: A Long Walk to FreedomI meant to add that it's no longer rumored, as Everett wrote, that Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemmings; that's now been proven by DNA testing and Jefferson's extended family includes many people of color. Jefferson lived with many contradictions.On Jan 8, 2014, at 8:03 AM, Peter wrote:Films aside (I have seen neither Mandela or Twelve Years a Slave yet), I would recommend the following reading for anyone, including high school students:1. Twelve Years a Slave (the original account)2. The Confessions of Nat Turner (one of my favorite books of all time)3. Devil in the Grove (winner of a Pulitzer Prize this year; an account of four young black men accused of raping a white woman in central Florida in the late 1940s and the defense by Thurgood Marshall when he led the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.PeterOn Jan 8, 2014, at 6:13 AM, Steve wrote:Carol:
Good to hear from the West Coast.
Your points are well taken and there is no doubt that Everett has a valuable perspective regarding the lack of value in showing violence based historically accurate films to those whose lives have been exposed to it enough already. However, perhaps the middle ground in this discussion which hasn't been touched upon is the role that can be played by the teacher/principal, etc. in creating a proper context for exposing students - minority or Caucasian - to the film and what it stands for. In other words, don't show the film in a vacumn. Show it to students back to back with the Mandela film so that they see the historical horrors but are also simultaneously exposed to the path that leaders have taken to address it. On the Martin Luther King holiday, students could see 12 Years as a Slave following a presentation about it, parents invited to attend, and then follow it with an inspirational film about MLK or other famous figure who took a path of fighting against the horrors.
Some of this may be too idealistic as Finding Forrester or Robin Williams Dead Poets Society type teachers aren't everywhere. But there still has to be some means of presenting historically accurate tragedies to young people - even in the urban areas where school is only an afterthought for some - rather than shield them from what happened. Because the extension of that argument is the Caucasion students can handle seeing the film whereas minorities can't and will be further damaged by it - a conclusion that can be dangerous in and of itself. In other words, show faith in the kids that they can handle seeing it - they are exposed to racism, poverty and crime every day in their own lives- but use the films like bookends, trying to contain the horrific events in a finite context and teach from within it.
The statistics in your area sadly mirror those in most urban communities and the answers sometimes seem like they simply don't exist.
As we turn 60, having received the best that education can offer, it is often frustrating to watch the chasm widen between what we were provided and what most of the population either pursued or had a chance to pursue. It is a fine line to determine how much to expose those at the lower end of the scale to films or other portrayals of historically accurate violence. Again, idealistic as it may seem, I still maintain that education has to include an accurate picture of what happened before in order to supply the motivation to prevent it from happening again. While the challenge is well served to include the famous Kennedy "Ask not" goal in an urban, suburban or any community, it has to also include exposure to the historical reasons why it is so important.
We need more of these discussions. It's too easy to read the paper and bemoan the current state of affairs rather than at least talk about them. Maybe we'll come up with some solutions. :-), even if it's been almost 40 years since we talked about many of the same problems in the Red Room. Terras Irradient .STEVEN-----Original Message-----
From: Carol
To:
Sent: Wed, Jan 8, 2014 1:10 am
Subject: Re: [AMHERST-1975] Mandela: A Long Walk to FreedomSteve, with all due respect, what I took away from Everett's point was that the reaction of adolescent black males in public school systems may be different from that of Asians or Whites (or Native Americans for that matter). To my way of thinking, encouraging anger among adolescent males of any race/ethnicity is not the best path to peace (look at the Middle East, for example). I agree with you completely that history should not be sugar coated, and there are many perspectives to every moment of history.
An issue I see presented by the dialogue thus far is that graphic video images desensitive humans to the horrors of violence (the viewer doesn't really feel the pain and, as a consequence, on a subconscious basis, taboos against violence are removed). We've come a long way from grade school kids getting paddled in the schools for misbehavior, but at least back then, at an impressionable age, they learned that it actually hurts to get hit. Now we cover up electric sockets and lock drawers so curious toddlers don't ever hurt themselves, and then we turn them loose with endless animations of violence.
I don't see significant social purpose in stirring up feelings of anger and resentment through the use of graphic video images being shown to adolescents of any race; their brains are exploding with growth and forming new neural connections. As a Caucasian, I completely trust Skip's (Everett's) judgment about what is most advantageous to teach in public high schools and as a mom, I completely agree that exposing children to horrific violent acts is disruptive to their sense of security and well-being.
Here in Tacoma, the high school graduation rate is 54%. There are many unemployed impoverished youth of all races, with no prospects for a job and ready availability of guns. As a parent, I feel these kids already have plenty to be angry about...especially since many of them are second and third generation of un/under-employed. Frankly, I'd like High School Civics classes to show films about work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps (if there are any). Youth need media exposure to positive role models and the notion of hope to accomplish something that they can see and show to others (they have plenty of sources of negative role models and lack of hope). I suspect that if anybody bothered to count unemployment among 16 to 25 year-olds in America the same way it is counted in Spain, there would be substantial similarity in the numbers. While it is idyllic to expose all youth to historic realities of past centuries, I'd like to see my tax dollars going to encouraging forward thinking; "ask not what your [community] can do for you, but rather what you can do for your [community]".
I agree with Andy that both Steve's and Skip's movie reviews are very valuable contributions and I also thank you for the conversation as well as for the thought-provoking reviews. I look forward to seeing the movies.
Best regards to all,
CarolOn 1/7/14, 8:56 PM, Steve wrote:I appreciate and understand Everett's position regarding the value of Mandela as a symbol of peace and hope whereas " 12 Years as a Slave" stands for a time and a place which was abhorrent for those who suffered or witnessed the inhumane conditions for African Americans in the middle 1800's. I disagree, however, that exposure to both aspects of history is not crucial in the education of students today.
The same can be said of whether students should see Schindler''s List or Saving Private Ryan as opposed to only watching historical films about Anne Frank's heroism prior to her death in prison camp or the biography of Admiral Nimitz as opposed to a film about the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. Exposure to and education about all of these times which encompass the humane and inhumane is valuable to the next generation's capacity to appreciate and politically support those who pursue solutions and polices which condemn the type of oppression which is so graphically depicted in 12 Years as a Slave.
It seems that for too many years, history for most adolescents is simply learning a time line of events, conflicts and resolutions rather than the horror and the heroism that was part of both. I would prefer that students know what happened, shudder when exposed to the inhumane treatment given to many ethnic and racial groups and appreciate the reasons not to do it again as opposed to seeing only the heroes whose efforts helped those groups emerge after the damage was already inflicted.
Seeing both sides may be painful but not as much as for those who lived through it - and whose struggles should be part of history lessons, too.STEVEN-----Original Message-----
From: Andy
To:
Sent: Tue, Jan 7, 2014 11:32 pm
Subject: Re: [AMHERST-1975] Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom- AndySince viewers vary, one can hardly blame the movie. I myself abhor being shown graphic violence that's not truly necessary to watch, as opposed to simply being fully aware of; and I feel sick recalling several hit movies I've seen that I consider ruined by my own revulsion. (I've since avoided a lot of classics for that reason! Which really is too bad.)Just as one may justifiably feel that violence, hatred and/or despair overshadow a particular movie (or don't), one may justifiably draw from the same movie a lesson of perseverance, valuable examples, debunked myths, or simple hope. (Or, not.)I belong to the same church (NYC Quakers) as Bayard Rustin, who persuaded Dr. King early on to read Gandhi and stop carrying a sidearm. And I've always been a very strong admirer of South Africa's formal Truth & Reconciliation process, which was not only a bold idea but, for the most part, courageously and faithfully carried out on a wide scale. I'm also passionate about New York's Adirondacks, where a local e-newsletter is how I first learned of the making of the "12 Years" movie about their native son.75ers,I'm grateful to Ev and Steve for giving their reasons about seeing these two films, to both of which I've been looking forward.
Accordingly, I reiterate my gratitude for Everett's and Steve's clear reasons for their impressions of these two films, while I would encourage everyone to keep an open mind about their respective conclusions about seeing both of them. I hope a lot of people do see them both.On Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 10:52 PM, Everett Jenkins <skipjen2865@aol.com> wrote:Steve,Yes, 12 Years a Slave is a powerful film and the performances of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o are outstanding. However, I cannot agree that the film should be seen by children nor do I think it should be shown in high school civics classes. For me, this was a troubling film eliciting some very dark emotions. For whites, I suppose the film may elicit emotions of internal guilt or external disapproval of the "evil" slaveholders, while for blacks, it may elicit emotions of anger and hate. After all, what else can one take from the whipping scenes, especially from the last one. And based upon what was portrayed, what hope was there for those who were "left behind" to toil in slavery forever more?After watching the film, I found myself thinking about my visit to Monticello a couple of years ago. I recalled strolling around the beautiful grounds and finding myself thinking about what it must have been like some two hundred years ago. The owner of that plantation owned slaves and it is even rumored that he had "relations" with one of his black slaves and that that slave gave birth to his child. I do not know if there were many whippings performed at Monticello and I do not know if the plantation owner should be considered to be "evil". I do know that that plantation owner once wrote that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." And I know that whatever his faults may have been, I am eternally grateful for his having written this.Thus, for me, that is where my preference lies with Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom as opposed to 12 Years a Slave. One story provides hope for justice and for the salvation of all, while the other story implies that there never will be.Peace,Everett Jenkins-----Original Message-----
From: sekramer8
To: skipjen2865 <skipjen2865@AOL.COM>
Sent: Tue, Jan 7, 2014 1:29 pm
Subject: Re: [AMHERST-1975] Mandela: A Long Walk to FreedomThanks Everett. It's unfortunate that it has come out at the same time as several other highly acclaimed films. Some movies should be seen by all and kids - such as 12 Years as a Slave.I went to the film having read it was a "Schindler's List" type film for blacks of the 19th century. I was skeptical. It was all of that and more and should be seen in high school civics classes throughout the country - especially below the "Mason Dixon line".STEVEN-----Original Message-----
From: Everett Jenkins <skipjen2865@AOL.COM>
To:
Sent: Tue, Jan 7, 2014 3:57 pm
Subject: [AMHERST-1975] Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom
Saw Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom yesterday. It is rather poignant that this story should arrive on the big screen as the world continues to remember the legacy of this great man. I, for one, found the film to be a great film, portraying Mandela as a man with many flaws. As the film shows, Mandela was not Gandhi nor King, and that, in many respects, makes his transformation from the man who once espoused violent resistance to the prophet of peaceful coexistence so much more remarkable. It is a film that everyone should see.
Having read Mandela's book and known about his story, the movie did not provide me with a great deal of additional insight into Nelson Mandela. However, the movie does provide additional insight into the evolution of Winnie Mandela from the beautiful, bright and upbeat young woman that Nelson Mandela married into the somewhat hate filled woman who would sanction the murders of those who were deemed to have betrayed the cause. While one cannot condone what she did, one does understand why she came to do them. Indeed, while we note Nelson Mandela's 27 year incarceration as being an undue punishment, it was actually Winnie who appears to have endured the harsher incarceration. In the end, one can understand why no one is really in a position to cast judgment on her. ... and why, perhaps, in the end, reconciliation was the best policy for all.Peace,Everett JenkinsClass of 1975
Comments
Post a Comment