I was not raised with a belief in reincarnation (the Catholic Church got rid of that escape clause before the Middle Ages), but I really like the idea of it, ‘cos it means you get to explore every possible angle of being human – including that which you love and that which you hate in the life you’re living right now. So if you hate boat people and have no compassion for them, chances are you’ll come back as one next time.
For me, reincarnation is an interesting idea. Living in Asia, where thousands of years of different beliefs are around you all the time, it makes the possibilities hard to ignore. However, I suppose I just find it hard to reject outright because of my past decade experiencing all sorts of ghost activity – they just don’t want to leave me alone. Therefore from my life experience perspective, there seems so much going on I can’t explain with a rational mind, so I remain open to possibilities.
But this isn’t about whether or not you or I believe in reincarnation. It’s a lot simpler than that. I was in a cab on Friday night and thought – after a particularly grueling week – if I do get another run at a new life, I’d love to be an academic, who never gets married, never has kids, and just studies one tiny subject in the greatest detail possible all of my life and then die peacefully and happy. I reckon that would be one good life to experience – completely in the mind and not caring about other stuff – like love – which includes not being distracted by anything or anyone else. As I said, a grueling week.
So then I thought, what else would I like to experience? Well I’d like to be….
- An award winning war photographer, capturing humanity at the front lines of war and showing its pointlessness. Of course, in my future lives I hope there are no wars, but still, it would be an experience. The other aspect of this life is living at the edge completely. I’ve lived as close to the edge as I can throughout my life, being alone in dangerous or completely different places. In these moments, you are drawn to others in the same boat, and the only thing you have in common is a combined need to be with people like you when you are living in a sea of difference and the unfamiliar. You party very hard in these times, because no one really knows you, you’ll never see each other again, it’s good to feel like you belong somewhere, and it’s the most freeing time of your life. I definitely want to encourage the boys to take these moments in their lives, but I must say it’s an experience hard to explain to people who’ve never done it. So I’d like a life where I take it even closer to the edge
- Dominatrix – as opposite to me today as you could get, that would be an interesting life. I’d have a posh dungeon in downtown NYC I reckon. Definitely my alter ego
- I’d love to have a life as an Ancient History professor – making young‘uns passionate about the world and its ancient past
- Musically there would be a few. A banjo playing country music STAR, an opera singer, a virtuoso cellist (female, ‘cos it’s a sexy instrument), but most of all, probably a hard rocking, bass playing rock chick clad in leather
- It would be great to live a simple life, high up in the mountains as a Buddhist Monk, helping all around me find their serenity within
- I’d like to be one of the super-rich, experiencing all that life has to offer, but equally be a great philanthropist, with a focus on tackling women’s health issues and ensuring not a single child is sold into sexual slavery. Again, I hope that by that time, neither of those problems exist in our world, but that would be what I’d want to tackle if it did get a life like that
- I’d love to be a metaphysics master, with all the mathematical and scientific prowess that entails, mastering the power of the stars and the natural magnetic energies of the planet
- A healer of the human spirit – no idea how that would play out, but when I see so many around me suffering in their hearts, for so many reasons, I’d love a life where I can help ease that
- An Anthony Robbins/Robin Sharma kind of motivational superstar – that would be awesome, because I think they share great and inspiring messages with the world
- A stand-up comic – yes, that needs to be in there. A maestro who makes people laugh their arses off
Well it’s been a pretty cool process for me thinking about this, and so I must ask – ifyou had a few more lives to look forward to, what would you like them to be?
It’s not about belief in reincarnation, it’s about daydreaming. Anyone want to join me and share theirs? COME ON – you know you want to….
Yours, without the bollocks
Andrea
