7/5/2024 EDIT: A lot has changed since I wrote this. Please keep that in mind as you read this ancient post.
This week’s Flashback Friday: Death The High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman
2016 has been one hell of a year, and I don’t mean that in a good way. As the death of Prince hit the world, others followed, including Patton Oswalt’s wife, who was only 46. When I saw this modification from Death: The High Cost of Living on Facebook yesterday, it was fitting.
(I don’t know who modified this image–it was floating around social media. The original is from The Sandman comics. If you know who I can attribute it to, let me know.)
If you’ve not read this graphic novel by Neil, you need to remedy that ASAP. It features Dream’s (the Sandman) oldest sister, Death, and the idea behind it is that once every hundred years, Death takes human form so she can remain in touch with humanity. Didi (the main character) insists that she’s this personification of Death and on her “one day,” she helps a young, suicidal teen on a journey.
Books and comics and movies of this type are a reminder that Death comes for us all and we won’t know when. It could be tomorrow or fifty years from now.
But death also serves a purpose. While not religious, I’ve always loved “Turn! Turn! Turn” from The Byrds. (I know it’s based off of Ecclesiastes, but I like their version better.
For there to be life, there must, sadly, be death. Death: The High Cost of Living reminds us of just that in its title.
But in our mourning, we remember the memories we hold and the lessons we’ve learned on this thing called life. So Let’s Go Crazy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJDuGjMwsow
