Occaisonally there comes a time to turn one's attention back to life's little questions. A moment taken from days spent educating young minds to think more critically, to see the world through a more compassionate lens, to help them with the trials and roadblocks set in their path on a daily basis. Many of the global and domestic problems we face come from a view of the world that has us (humans) as outside, controlling, owning, using and then ultimately fighting over the meager resources left. We (the worst among us) see each other as adversaries in a fight for survival and we use war, torture, lies, and waste human capitol as a means to this end. So, to teach from an environmental and holisitc point of view is not to put the great concerns of the day aside. Rather, it will hopefully produce humans who see the interconnectedness of us all and treat the situation accordingly.
Having said all this; class is now in session
The little problem I've been thinking about is the final dispostion of my body as my husband and I try to plan ahead. I had a classmate who turned me on to Green Burial
when she did her thesis on it. I came to kind of like the idea of being planted in the back yard with "Fluffy"; to find myself in the ultimate environmentally friendly finish. compost. fertilizer. I thought of my family planting something native in the spot. Maybe a nice flowering red currant. I imagined working on my own shroud, doing some nice needlework to make my final journey more appealing visually to the bugs and bacteria speeding me along in my journey.
Well, we'd both thought of cremation. I mean who still wants to be buried, pumped with chemicals, in a concrete container, in an expensive and overstuffed box? Well, cremation has its environmental concerns although with new technology and container some of that has been mitigated
So many of the reasons for what we consider traditional burial are long past; embalming for public health for example. Even the concrete "bunker" wherein the casket is placed is more about maintaining the flat aspect of the cemetary than any real protection for the casket and/or remains.
Well, it seems I've come upon an answer. At least for me. As an educator I think I've found a way to keep on keeping on. Also as a health educator I can't think of a better way to reach beyond the grave to provide a teachable moment. So, I think I'm going with Body Donation. And since I'm in Oregon, the institution is OHSU.
One of the introductory principles of my class, for all my students, is this thought: the most basic level of participation in society are these contributions - Give Blood/Be an Organ Donor, Vote, and Renew/Reduce/Recyle. Then we go from there.
I wouldn't want my last message to my students to be anything less than the basic commitment I ask of them.
Oh.......and there will be a rockin' Irish wake and you're all invited!!