Name Change

During Bush 43's first campaign in 2000, there was an over-circulated story from his Skull and Bone days that was intended to display his supposed lack of decisiveness and penchant for frivolity.

Upon induction to the secret society, the young future president could choose for himself his new nickname. His choice. Whatever he wanted. He couldn't, or didn't, come up with anything so he went by "Temporary". Maybe he thought he'd go back and change it later; point is, he didn't and Temporary became permanent.

When I first started this anthology of sorts, I wanted to come up with a clever and all-encompassing title. I failed miserably. Showing my flair for the creative, I temporarily called it "NeilMassey".

Although, I did entertain the thought of just calling it "Temporary", even if for only a couple of seconds.

Over the past several weeks, I've noticed some themes emerging. Self-awareness and soul searching; questioning myself and searching for honest answers. Sometimes succeeding, sometimes falling short. But if anything, maybe a good joke now and then.

Well, today I came across a Robert Frost poem I've never read before. Entitled "The Trial by Existence", it was a childhood church lesson put to beautiful words.

It's a poem that tells of a gathering of souls in the presence of God. A choice is made to temporarily leave paradise in exchange for a lifetime of trials and tests, good and ill, happiness and pain. Our memories were taken away, but a "mystic link to bind and hold" connects us and God until we return one day.

It's also poem of Destiny versus Free Will. Recall my previous post about watching Twelfth Night and you'll see this is a recurring theme in my life of late.

I'll share the last stanza:

'Tis of the essence of life here,
Though we choose greatly, still to lack
The lasting memory at all clear,
That life has for us on the wrack
Nothing but what we somehow choose;
thus are we wholly stripped of pride
In the pain that has but one close,
Bearing it crushed and mystified.


Since my life is a trial by existence and this record details that existence, I found a new name. It's a little more creative than NeilMassey.