ozymandias

the first day of my gerontology (i.e. taking care of older people) placement was at an aged care facility near camberwell. i felt rather confronted, and once again reminded, that life is indeed fleeting. there are about 60 residents altogether. some are wheelchair bound because of brittle bones & weak muscles, dealing with the painful knowledge of their disability. while some others are trapped in a world of their own, not even recognising their family members & loved ones. and then.. there are those more unfortunate ones who are a combination of both. they lie in bed, waiting for time to pass. you think it's easy to accept their decline. after all, they are nearly a century old. but when you step into their rooms, and give them a little more attention than you normally would.. you will notice that on their walls hang countless (yes, countless) pictures & photos that tell their life story. one of the old man who could barely take a step was a professor at melbuni, a well respected academic who had published several papers. another grumpy old guy that is constantly sliding off his chair was a top notched lawyer. and then there is that poor old lady who peed in her pants as we stood her up - she looked so pretty & happy in her wedding dress. the photos spoke of their achievements, they spoke of their youth. and the ironic/sad thing is.. they contrast sharply with reality.

and tonight, i finally caught UP. the movie begins with the story of a young boy. a young boy with dreams of adventure & found more than what he was asking for. he found love, happiness. and you thought disney movies always end with happily ever after. nopes, it ends with grief, loss & pain. i am not satisfied that his loss is replaceable by his newfound friendship. i still maintain that the story is one that is sad.

anyhow, a sonnet that i read years.. and years ago called ozymandias was brought to mind:

I met a traveller from an antique land

Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,

Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown

And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,

The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal these words appear:

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

and then i read ecc 1 just so i can vent. indeed, solomon is wise - everything is meaningless, as he said/sang. even the search of knowledge is meaningless & vanity. let us instead, put our efforts into better investments, investing into the riches that are eternal, where rust & moths cannot destroy. let us get our perspectives right.