Friday, February 25, 2005
Speaking of the Pope...
He's now had a tracheotomy in an advanced stage of Parkinson's. By way of comparison, I offer you my paternal grandmother. Healthy as a horse and active way into her senior years -- she built a house with a second husband when they were both well into their 60s. She was even fine early in Parkinson's. She made it into her 80's -- in fact, well past the age of 86. But... despite her health, her strength and all the like (she'd have made the Pope of ten years ago seem like a lazy bum), a couple of weeks after the doctors gave her a tracheotomy because she could no longer swallow properly... pfffft. She died. She was eighty-six years, eight months, three weeks and three days old.
I just bring this up by way of example and warning. (And ironic that this happened on the Protestant side of my family. (Protestant side -- strokes or Parkinson's way past 80. Catholic side -- diabetes or liver failure well before 70. You do the math)). I'm just saying that, despite the good news coming out of the Vatican, don't expect JP Jr. to be around much longer. Sticking a hole in someone's throat so they can breath isn't like putting on a bandaid. It's major trauma, and really old, really sick people don't deal well with trauma. He's circling the drain.
The same operation most likely accellerated the death of my previously vital grandmother. And, while the Vatican Docs probably think they're helping to keep the Pope going for a while, they've probably just hastened the end. Or maybe that was their intent all along.
But don't be surprised, and for fuck's sake don't think I care. Close to thirty years is a good run. And, if they're going to insist on electing another Pope, may they accidentally pick a social liberal who will a) loosen up Church dogma on birth control, women priests and the like and b) do something about all those pedophile priests.
Amen, sistah.
I just bring this up by way of example and warning. (And ironic that this happened on the Protestant side of my family. (Protestant side -- strokes or Parkinson's way past 80. Catholic side -- diabetes or liver failure well before 70. You do the math)). I'm just saying that, despite the good news coming out of the Vatican, don't expect JP Jr. to be around much longer. Sticking a hole in someone's throat so they can breath isn't like putting on a bandaid. It's major trauma, and really old, really sick people don't deal well with trauma. He's circling the drain.
The same operation most likely accellerated the death of my previously vital grandmother. And, while the Vatican Docs probably think they're helping to keep the Pope going for a while, they've probably just hastened the end. Or maybe that was their intent all along.
But don't be surprised, and for fuck's sake don't think I care. Close to thirty years is a good run. And, if they're going to insist on electing another Pope, may they accidentally pick a social liberal who will a) loosen up Church dogma on birth control, women priests and the like and b) do something about all those pedophile priests.
Amen, sistah.
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