Growing Out Of Religion; Or, No One Is Allowed To Make A Fool Out Of You

Bottom line is this, you are a treasure of wisdom and experience, but people came and mixed up some things.

As your grand daughters become Doctors, Philosophers, even Artists, they will begin tip-toeing around your religion.

At an age age where you should share the most powerful of your wisdom, you will come across as disconnected, whimsical and a little quirky.

They need your observations, they need your wisdom, they will make easy to prevent mistakes without it.

You are not allowed to pull them into a delusion, but you can take them on your Scientific Investigations.

No little lady, young or older, is too smart, for a quest around museums.

So as long as the quest runs for many years, preferably every Sunday, and includes sandwiches and snacks.

You start by admitting the truth, that times have changed, and you have to update your views of the world.

But, make it clear to them, that if they ever think of you as quirky again…

You will cut a switch, and at the very least wave it around in the air like you mean it.

You begin by a search for a natural history museum, and take a long look at dinosaurs, from 65 million years ago.

First we will lift the insulting lie that Lord and Dinosaurs lived together, and here you will witness that Earth can’t be 6,000 years old.

At the foot of the dinosaur, you should be able to spot the shrew, the reason why mice make such a good test subjects.

When the impactor that caused the Alvarez Crater struck, the fierce little creatures were able to survive fires by burrowing into the ground as needed.

They didn’t need much food, and they could live just fine we are recently evolved from similar little creatures.

The museums will show you that they went on to become, smart little monkeys, and those became great apes.

And that some of those great apes, lost their fur, except in all the most unfortunate places.

This is easy to learn, and you may already feel that way, but what isn’t obvious is that our evolution continues.

And in 65 million years, we will be as different from who we are today, as a shrew is from a cranky bold ape with a penchant for cake.

Madam, keep in mind, this is not a journey you will be making alone, you will be dragging the grand kids along.

In fact, get everyone to waddle with you, use the switch you no doubt already cut to persuade them.

You will give them plenty sandwich rewards, and maybe some star stickers, especially for the fatter adults.

But do plan ahead, as to how to keep them quiet, don’t let the adventure end with spending hours driving back home.

Get a bus, or stay at a hotel and get a ride back, the adventure, is great part of the joy of your legacy.

This is not something you plan, and mark on your calendar.

You have to start now, You will watch the opening of the re-release of Carl Sagan's Cosmos.

Listen to Ann Druyan explain how the series was filmed, when the world was on the brink of destruction by nuclear weapons.

In the last few days we witnessed two intercontinental ballistic missile intimidations, though they ended in failure, that trend is unlikely to continue.

Because of education, because of the lack of grasp on reality, we have again arrived at the precipice.

You will have to explain to the kids that humanity is repeating mistakes, because it is not learning.

And that now is the time, and Cosmos, is where you will start.

Then you will need to watch the Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s remake, preferably outside using a projector, so that the kids remember those moments.

Because you aren’t just rising above religion, you are now building your legacy of wisdom.

Borrow from the library, two Audio Books, and re-listen to them dozens of times, privately.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, and Demon Haunted World, by Carl Sagan.

Make sure that you gift those books to your kids, as love of Science is an important part of your legacy now.

And now, you will begin documenting your memories, especially of the people that passed.

You will in fact get to meet them, but in your memories, make sure to never turn off the camera or microphone…

Especially as you laugh or cry, or even make embarrassing snot bubbles with your nose.

Your kids need to see the real you, not the perfectly dressed pampered version from photos.

Aside from those who have passed in your time, their photos, and your memories of them...

Your memoir must document your rise from the trickery, each time you learn something that moves you...

You put that in your memoir, so that, that lesson does not end with you.

But becomes a gift, to your kids and grand kids, and grand, grand kids…

And serve your family, as a permanent heirloom.

Share a copy with the world, don’t worry if it will make it angry or disappointed.

You are sacred, whether a cast away or not.

You are part of humanity, and your lasting contributions have an important role to play.

The world needs your heroic courage now, it needs your wisdom, framed in everlasting clarity.