The Dark Side

 

vomitous - adjective - nauseating or repulsive

When I think of the dark side of life, I tend to tarry on taxes and death, two constants that most don't look forward to on any level. Since I've been reading two books, both recommended, on death via war, Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carry (Vietnam) and George Saunders's Lincoln in the Bardo (the Civil War, but not the current one), I have been compelled to contemplate death more than taxes. Let's face it. We tend not to ponder what we owe to the government until at least March. Although this blog is not a book review, I will say that each historical novel includes unenjoyable, vomitous descriptions of suffering associated with the particular bloody conflict. I would definitely prefer a picture not as naturalistic.

Because I am in the fourth quarter of life and have probably seen just about everything short of war, I am somewhat inured to the authors' repugnant imagery, yet admittedly, it all adds up after a while, pushing the reader into a corner of repulsion in a sense. As much as I have not wanted to get stuck there ("No one puts Baby in a corner."), I have found myself licking the wallpaper of war and its two bi-products: death and grief. I've come to the conclusion not only that none of the three tastes good alone or in combination but 1. war is completely unnecessary since we are sentient beings capable of negotiation 2. death is a part of life albeit it can be circumvented partially in times of peace and 3. grief is emotionally crippling, but it can be overcome at least to an extent if the afflicted is willing.

The question I find myself asking is why do we humans tread on these elements of the dark side? Okay, I get that we can't escape taxes and death via natural causes, but we can escape war, all forms, including the cold civil war we find ourselves in now that many believe will propagate due to factors beyond our control. But are these factors truly beyond our control? I say they aren't. We just have to be open to what makes sense, which is nothing remotely vomitous. 

The takeaway is that if you want to walk in the light, you should never read two graphic books about war back to back. It is just common sense :). 

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