We all know that death is the finality of life as we know it. However, there is a great mystery of the afterlife and I won’t find out until that day. I was close to it though when I almost cashed in my chips in a near fatal car accident.

For one thing, I didn’t know I had an accident until the fireman asked me my name and I groggily answered. But, right before that I only saw darkness and I could hear people talking. I thought I was dead and somebody was talking to me before I woke up. To this day, I still don’t remember what happened.

From what I’ve read, we all have a soul which when we die leaves the body. Where it goes I don’t know. Shirley McLain says that we go into another body by reincarnation. If that’s true, I don’t want to come back as a cow and be someone’s T-bone steak. Personally, I don’t think so.

However, there are other cultures who believe that we will meet our ancestors in heaven, hopefully not the other place. It depends on how your ancestors lived. If your body was buried with all your fine clothes and jewelry or if you were cremated, how will they know you? Maybe it’s like Star Trek and they beam you up or down. Hopefully, your molecules were saved and your body is now younger and healthy without pain or illness and a full set of hair.

Other cultures are sure that we will go to a better place like they say “he’s in a better place”. How would they know? The Koreans bury their bodies standing straight up like they’re being shot up like a rocket. Fat chance if they bury their bodies at the bottom of the mountain. Those with more money go to the top of the mountain. The Koreans have a saying “we go yama gandi”, which means they go to the mountain when they die.

Now, the Vikings put their dead bodies in a boat and tow it out to sea. When they are far enough, they throw fire arrows at and hopefully, will burn the bodies before the boat is sunk. Seems to me like a waste of boats. I wonder how many burned boats are in the bay?

Now, the atheist has a problem. Since they don’t believe in God or Buddha, Allah or Mohammed, they can’t make up their minds on where their bodies are going. I guess when they die, they just go “poof” and they’re gone!

I prefer to believe that when I die, my soul will go to a place where it will be purified before I enter heaven. That’s based on how many points I’ve made. This is where it gets catchy. Most people believe in a place called Limbo. No, not Limbo where you go under the stick, but rather, a place where fire will burn your body to purify you. Now, the big question, what body? Your body is still six feet under or cremated and being beamed up or down because you were cremated and your molecules are still in space. However, after my body, so to speak, is purified I finally make it up to heaven.

What happens next will be up to Jesus. He’ll either says thumbs up or down. I hope up. Hopefully I get a good deal. My choice of vocation in Heaven will be a guardian angel like in the movies or an angel who is constantly singing praises like when Jesus is born. I don’t play instruments so the harp is out. With my luck, I’ll probably be sweeping the coal dust from the clouds.