Member-only story
Contemplating the Complex Contradictions of Death
From the point of view of a protected childhood
My first glimpses of death in childhood were gleaned while watching the shows my brothers watched when I should have been in bed. I’d remain as quiet as possible in a corner of the living room so no one would notice me. Columbo, each episode of which preceded lovable Peter Falk’s detective work with a scene of the crime being committed, was one of my favorites — despite the nightmarish shadows glimpsed in my dark room later as I tried to fall asleep. As an adult, movies and shows those who know me might never suspect I’d watch like No Country for Old Men and Breaking Bad captivate me, the compelling acting and story lines compensating for anything gruesome. Most recently, the 2019 show Perpetual Grace, LTD has reminded me, as did Breaking Bad, that death for many, whether one’s one or someone else’s, is an in-your-face, potentially vicious experience that has wide-reaching ramifications. I don’t find it ironic that both those shows were set in New Mexico as the mystical, edgy elements of that state’s often grim landscape seem such an effective backdrop for such stories.
I grew up in lush upstate New York, though, and during my childhood death was experienced at arm’s length. I do remember sobbing at two funerals — one for the beloved pastor of our parish…
