The John Griff Column: You want guarantees?

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For many years the sage wisdom has had it that that in life there are no guarantees, the exceptions being death, and taxes. True though that this might be the case – should there be the argument put forward for another immutable candidate? I suggest that such a candidate might be an intangible one which itself carries out the verb that compliments its own noun.

Change.

We all encounter it every day if not every moment of every day. Death comes to every life within whatever timescale. Every human encounters taxes of some kind, whether directly or indirectly. If you’ve just submitted your tax return (or are feverishly preparing one a few days beyond the cutoff of January 31st), you might agree. Buy any product from a retailer and taxes will have been paid either in the creation, sale or ongoing cycle of its existence. So that addresses two immutables. But what about this thing that I suggest should be added to our wisdom about life, the universe and everything? What about change?

We can all accept that things change with time. Preferences change, understanding changes. Admittedly there are those who still believe the earth to be flat, even if most of us have been shown the evidence for a different perspective of our home planet. Science has proven that the Earth rotates around the Sun and not vice versa as was the understanding (and arrogance, perhaps) of academics and scientists until a certain Leonardo da Vinci came along and pushed the applecart over. He wasn’t alone either – Nicholas Copernicus put forward a theory which da Vinci went on to prove, challenging and eventually upending both religious dogma and science which, from space through innumerable satellites we are now able to observe. Well, most of us…

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Ray's burial coincided with a miltary transport flight overhead - a sign of changing times?Ray's burial coincided with a miltary transport flight overhead - a sign of changing times?
Ray's burial coincided with a miltary transport flight overhead - a sign of changing times?

Is there any aspect of the human existence which has never seen change? Perhaps only in death itself. Extinction is precisely that – even if the speed, method and moment when it takes place varies infinitely. In the past few days we have all seen and learned of the deaths of a large number of individuals, through tragic air crashes, equally tragic murders, or the extinction of life through a more natural, peaceful process. Amongst others this year, we have already lost Marianne Faithfull, Wayne Osmond, Dame Joan Plowright, David Lynch, Paul Danan, Tony Slattery and The Vivienne – more will follow because extinction is the immutable destiny of all living things. Some are working to ‘cheat death’ – but would you really want to live forever? What would be the experience of doing so? What would the quality of life of an immortal be, assuming that science would have to put an end to ageing too? How to choose when you stop ageing? And at what cost? How much would you end up paying in taxes then – and where would you find the wherewithal to do so?

In case you think I’ve had some kind of epiphany, let me reassure you that you might be right. Earlier this week I attended the funeral of someone I knew as my ‘Uncle Ray’. A wonderful Dorset man proud of his roots, Ray ultimately retired there, returning to the very village and house in which he had grown up as a child, with his wife Pat. After National Service, Ray worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at Hanslope Park from whence he and Pat were posted all over the world. Between postings, home was in Wootton – when they resumed being our next-door neighbours.

Ray died having almost reached the age of ninety. His funeral saw the local church packed until there was standing room only, such was the respect for the man. Tributes were given by his three children and others, which is where my epiphany took place. I grew up with all three – we played in and out of each other’s homes in Water Lane until, one by one, we each left to start our own life journeys. Colin settled in Canada, Clare in Australia and Ian moved to Dorset himself with occasional visits to Northamptonshire for work. I moved to Surrey briefly, before returning with my own work. But the epiphany – the thing which really brought ‘change’ into my conscious thought, came with seeing my childhood friends not only in the same place for the first time in about half a century, but that they had all become grandparents, Ian the day before his father’s funeral. Change indeed – how did that happen? Perhaps because change happens because life happens. Death happens because all things living die at some point. And taxes – well we all pay those, sometimes even after death.

As Ray was being laid to rest in his parish church’s graveyard, a huge military transport plane flew over, as though in salute. A sign of changing global times? We’ll see. Rest in Peace Ray – and rest well.

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