post #357
Jonathan Trager, prominent television producer for ESPN, died last night from complications of losing his soul mate and his fiancee. He was 35 years old. Soft-spoken and obsessive, Trager never looked the part of a hopeless romantic. But, in the final days of his life, he revealed an unknown side of his psyche. This hidden quasi-Jungian persona surfaced during the Agatha Christie-like pursuit of his long reputed soul mate, a woman whom he only spent a few precious hours with. Sadly, the protracted search ended late Saturday night in complete and utter failure. Yet even in certain defeat, the courageous Trager secretly clung to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Uh-uh. But rather, its a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan. Asked about the loss of his dear friend, Dean Kansky, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and executive editor of the New York Times, described Jonathan as a changed man in the last days of his life. "Things were clearer for him," Kansky noted. Ultimately Jonathan concluded that if we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call "fatum", what we currently refer to as destiny.
I quoted the above supposedly eulogy from Serendipity movie. It was one of my favorite movies. The first time I saw (and instantly fell in love with) Kate Beckinsale. Reading the above sentences, I can squeeze the essence to these points:
- It's not a matter of how much time you spend with someone, but the quality of the times you spend with him/her
- Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences, there's gotta be something to it
- Destiny
Well, while people around the world still mourning for Michael Jackson, who passed away few days ago, I think it'd be appropriate to write about this now. That's a thing about life. It's mysterious and no one can be certain how his/her life would end. We might had pictured how we'd die, but in the end, the angel of death might come and pick us at the very unexpected time and situation. And that is destiny. How we die...When we die...What cause our death...Where we die...Why we die....Who's gonna be with us when we die....
How can we foresee it? Hmmmm....looking at the signs? Disease perhaps? Bad health condition? High risk occupation? Unhealthy lifestyle? But again sometimes....there's just no sign at all...quoting a bible verse, death came like a thief in the night...undetected. Or in Jonathan Tragger's words..."What if the absence of signs is a sign?"
Just like we fear darkness, we fear death. Like Dumbledore said, "It is only the unknowing we fear in the face of the darkness and death." This went along with Xenophobia. If we ask ourselves...what do we fear from death? The uncertainty of what's next...That's when religion kicked in. It offered consolation to us. It offered answers (though not in explicitly proven way..I mean who have died and come back to tell us his/her experience after this life?) to the very basic questions we have, such as, we are we here? why do we live? where do we go after this? Well I won't talk much about this, everyone has their own perception about religion...it's just my two cents.
Reminded me of Stephen R. Covey book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In one of the habits, he mentioned about begin with end in mind. He gave illustration about funeral. Imagine we attend our own funeral. How many people would attend it? I guess the number of people who attend my funeral reflect how many lives I touch (in a good way) during my life. What kind of person I would be remembered by people? There were some eulogies that came into my mind. For the sake of examples, let consider that my name is Jonathan Trager.
Jonathan Trager, died last night from cardiac arrest in his residence at suburban area. He's known as a hard working family man, a loving, faithful husband, and a proud father of two. I believe I can say that he has touched our lives, the people who gather here to pay our last respect, in so many ways that words are not enough to describe. There are many people who consider him as good friend, a wise, witty man whom you can always depend on to share some thoughts and ideas, debate them sometimes. Looking all of you here makes me sad and proud at the same time. Proud because I can see how Jonathan had mean something to you. Sad because he, the person that gathers us all here is just lying there, smiling calmly.... He has had heart problem since few years back, but it hasn't stop him from living his life fully. He still seems vibrant and no one can ever suspect otherwise. I'm sure his passing will be a great loss especially for his family, but I believe he'll never be forgotten, not by us. He will forever live in our hearts as fond memories and his legacy which he pass on through the encounters we have with him will also live with us, enrich our lives.
(This eulogy is presented by my best friend)
Jonathan Trager is my hero. He taught me everything I know, the important lessons in life that make me the man I am today, standing in front of all of you. He's a very devoted person to his family, he loved my mom, his wife, endlessly and vigorously. I believe I can say that he's done an incomparably excellent job raising us, his son and daughter, and I really hope that he's proud with what kind of person we become. It's greatly affected by his guidance all of our lives. I still remember the holidays we had when I was a child, the father and son talks during my teenage, and precious advices he gave me. I'm honored that you come to give him the last respect that he truly deserve. It shows that you care about him, and I, on behalf of my family would like to thank you for that. I believe though it's sad, he's in a better place now, watching us,..smiling proudly upon his son and daughter.
(This eulogy is presented by my son)
Jonathan Trager....is a very compassionate man. At times, I wonder why he chose not to have a family. Perhaps in his lifetime, he hasn't found that soulmate he's been searching for. I've known him since kindergarten and I can say that he's a man of principles. He's very determined and commited person. Though he lived a solitary life, if I may say so, he lived it happily. Maybe even happier than some of the married couples I know. This also proves that happiness comes in many forms. Sometimes we, his friends teased him about him being unmarried, but the truth is we all loved him very much. He's dependable and always there when you need to talk, willing to lend his shoulder to lean on, to cry on....He's a true friend..a rare one. I'm sure you all agree with me on this one. He will be missed and remembered deeply in our hearts.
(This eulogy is presented by my friend)
Hmmmm.....which of the three that would be eulogy for me? Or would be another version? One thing that's sure....if I want to be remembered like that, my actions should reflect that kind of characteristic from now.
What about you? What do you think your eulogy would be?
In memory of Michael Jackson....here's a link to Lisa Marie Presley's blog --> He Knew.
Rest in peace, King of Pop....may you find your eternal peace and happiness.
Michael Jackson - Ben
Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you my friend will see
You've got a friend in me
(You've got a friend in me)
Ben, you're always running here and there
(Here and there)
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
(Anywhere)
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's something you should know
You've got a place to go
(You've got a place to go)
I used to say, "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
(I used to say, "I" and "me")
(Now it's "us", now it's "we")
Ben, most people would turn you away(turn you away)
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do
I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again
If they had a friend like Ben
(A friend)
Like Ben
(Like Ben)
Like Ben
Jonathan Trager, prominent television producer for ESPN, died last night from complications of losing his soul mate and his fiancee. He was 35 years old. Soft-spoken and obsessive, Trager never looked the part of a hopeless romantic. But, in the final days of his life, he revealed an unknown side of his psyche. This hidden quasi-Jungian persona surfaced during the Agatha Christie-like pursuit of his long reputed soul mate, a woman whom he only spent a few precious hours with. Sadly, the protracted search ended late Saturday night in complete and utter failure. Yet even in certain defeat, the courageous Trager secretly clung to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Uh-uh. But rather, its a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan. Asked about the loss of his dear friend, Dean Kansky, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and executive editor of the New York Times, described Jonathan as a changed man in the last days of his life. "Things were clearer for him," Kansky noted. Ultimately Jonathan concluded that if we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call "fatum", what we currently refer to as destiny.
I quoted the above supposedly eulogy from Serendipity movie. It was one of my favorite movies. The first time I saw (and instantly fell in love with) Kate Beckinsale. Reading the above sentences, I can squeeze the essence to these points:
- It's not a matter of how much time you spend with someone, but the quality of the times you spend with him/her
- Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences, there's gotta be something to it
- Destiny
Well, while people around the world still mourning for Michael Jackson, who passed away few days ago, I think it'd be appropriate to write about this now. That's a thing about life. It's mysterious and no one can be certain how his/her life would end. We might had pictured how we'd die, but in the end, the angel of death might come and pick us at the very unexpected time and situation. And that is destiny. How we die...When we die...What cause our death...Where we die...Why we die....Who's gonna be with us when we die....
How can we foresee it? Hmmmm....looking at the signs? Disease perhaps? Bad health condition? High risk occupation? Unhealthy lifestyle? But again sometimes....there's just no sign at all...quoting a bible verse, death came like a thief in the night...undetected. Or in Jonathan Tragger's words..."What if the absence of signs is a sign?"
Just like we fear darkness, we fear death. Like Dumbledore said, "It is only the unknowing we fear in the face of the darkness and death." This went along with Xenophobia. If we ask ourselves...what do we fear from death? The uncertainty of what's next...That's when religion kicked in. It offered consolation to us. It offered answers (though not in explicitly proven way..I mean who have died and come back to tell us his/her experience after this life?) to the very basic questions we have, such as, we are we here? why do we live? where do we go after this? Well I won't talk much about this, everyone has their own perception about religion...it's just my two cents.
Reminded me of Stephen R. Covey book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In one of the habits, he mentioned about begin with end in mind. He gave illustration about funeral. Imagine we attend our own funeral. How many people would attend it? I guess the number of people who attend my funeral reflect how many lives I touch (in a good way) during my life. What kind of person I would be remembered by people? There were some eulogies that came into my mind. For the sake of examples, let consider that my name is Jonathan Trager.
Jonathan Trager, died last night from cardiac arrest in his residence at suburban area. He's known as a hard working family man, a loving, faithful husband, and a proud father of two. I believe I can say that he has touched our lives, the people who gather here to pay our last respect, in so many ways that words are not enough to describe. There are many people who consider him as good friend, a wise, witty man whom you can always depend on to share some thoughts and ideas, debate them sometimes. Looking all of you here makes me sad and proud at the same time. Proud because I can see how Jonathan had mean something to you. Sad because he, the person that gathers us all here is just lying there, smiling calmly.... He has had heart problem since few years back, but it hasn't stop him from living his life fully. He still seems vibrant and no one can ever suspect otherwise. I'm sure his passing will be a great loss especially for his family, but I believe he'll never be forgotten, not by us. He will forever live in our hearts as fond memories and his legacy which he pass on through the encounters we have with him will also live with us, enrich our lives.
(This eulogy is presented by my best friend)
Jonathan Trager is my hero. He taught me everything I know, the important lessons in life that make me the man I am today, standing in front of all of you. He's a very devoted person to his family, he loved my mom, his wife, endlessly and vigorously. I believe I can say that he's done an incomparably excellent job raising us, his son and daughter, and I really hope that he's proud with what kind of person we become. It's greatly affected by his guidance all of our lives. I still remember the holidays we had when I was a child, the father and son talks during my teenage, and precious advices he gave me. I'm honored that you come to give him the last respect that he truly deserve. It shows that you care about him, and I, on behalf of my family would like to thank you for that. I believe though it's sad, he's in a better place now, watching us,..smiling proudly upon his son and daughter.
(This eulogy is presented by my son)
Jonathan Trager....is a very compassionate man. At times, I wonder why he chose not to have a family. Perhaps in his lifetime, he hasn't found that soulmate he's been searching for. I've known him since kindergarten and I can say that he's a man of principles. He's very determined and commited person. Though he lived a solitary life, if I may say so, he lived it happily. Maybe even happier than some of the married couples I know. This also proves that happiness comes in many forms. Sometimes we, his friends teased him about him being unmarried, but the truth is we all loved him very much. He's dependable and always there when you need to talk, willing to lend his shoulder to lean on, to cry on....He's a true friend..a rare one. I'm sure you all agree with me on this one. He will be missed and remembered deeply in our hearts.
(This eulogy is presented by my friend)
Hmmmm.....which of the three that would be eulogy for me? Or would be another version? One thing that's sure....if I want to be remembered like that, my actions should reflect that kind of characteristic from now.
What about you? What do you think your eulogy would be?
In memory of Michael Jackson....here's a link to Lisa Marie Presley's blog --> He Knew.
Rest in peace, King of Pop....may you find your eternal peace and happiness.
Michael Jackson - Ben
Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you my friend will see
You've got a friend in me
(You've got a friend in me)
Ben, you're always running here and there
(Here and there)
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
(Anywhere)
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's something you should know
You've got a place to go
(You've got a place to go)
I used to say, "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
(I used to say, "I" and "me")
(Now it's "us", now it's "we")
Ben, most people would turn you away(turn you away)
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do
I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again
If they had a friend like Ben
(A friend)
Like Ben
(Like Ben)
Like Ben
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