It’s a cliché, “hanging by a thread.” I’ve gone through eighty years, and I’m still here, thinking on the surface that all is well because I haven’t done anything stupid enough, or fate hasn’t been sufficiently tempted to crash my party in all those years. I believe that I’ll wake up tomorrow, and all will be well as I head down the road to Guidepost #81. Deep down I know that, even if I don’t see it as I type these letters, I am hanging by a thread. Meanwhile, as I gleefully mix metaphors, I circle the drain, staying clear as best I can, but the drain is still there, still visible, not going away.
Last week I was struck by a story that has been circulating online. Father Patricio Alfredo Sanchez Molinari, 53 was officiating at Mass in a church in Ecuador, delivering a sermon on the nature of life, urging those present to consider the quality of time spent with god and family.
His last seconds on earth.
The wooden crucifix, which wasn’t properly fastened to the wall behind him, is seen falling in this clip from a livestreamed video of the mass. A second or two later the crucifix struck the priest on his head, killing him instantly. The irony is inescapable. He is doing as he preached, unexpectedly finding himself spending time with God an instant after this image was recorded.
Another priest reported, “In the face of death, there is a message of equality. Life is fragile, and we will all go through that moment,” he told Spanish-language Catholic news outlet EWTN News Español.
American commentator Juliana, a MAGA supporter who has 10,000 followers, said in a post: “However you interpret this incident, this is not ordinary; read the Old Testament and see what happens when God is angry with those he has chosen to lead his people. This cross couldn't have fallen at any other time, and it couldn't have missed the target; obviously, God is angry with humanity. R.I.P. Priest. Patricio Sanchez!”
Whether divine punishment or not, the irony is extraordinary.
March, 2021. Jake and Jessica Woodruff were driving on Highway 199 through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park when a 175 foot redwood tree fell on their car, crushing the passenger compartment, killing them both. They leave behind their five children, none of whom were in the car at the time. Was God pissed at them, too?
We’re surrounded by redwood trees at 330 Rugby Avenue, all of which are tall enough to crush our roof…and us.
Last Friday, at Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home in Arizona, a Brazilian college president was on a tour. The New York Post reports Rogério Renato Mateucci, 55, was killed Friday afternoon while on a group tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Strong winds up to 32 miles per hour dislodged a piece of roofing, which struck Mateucci in the head. The Post reports he held multiple degrees, including a doctorate from Fordham University in educational leadership.
Mateucci died instantly, officials said, describing the incident as a "weather-related accident."
I have no conclusion to this blog entry. It might be waiting for me later this morning when I head down to 24 Hour Fitness, planning to walk on the treadmill, then swim. Maybe I won’t be able to drive back. Send an Uber, an ambulance, or, if my thread unravels, a hearse.
P.S. It’s late afternoon. I swam, had lunch. The thread still holds.