Birthdays and Pope-babbling

Hah, I escaped the April 1st madness!
And then I had no time to post because of the preparations for Jörg's party.

So, Happy Birthday, my dearest!

Also Happy Birthday to Barbara (xeridy, is it?), whether she reads this or not.

Must admit that the death of John Paul II is, albeit sad, somewhat exciting. There has never been another pope but him in my lifetime. Just like in '99 when Schröder became federal chancellor. Because up till then, there had never been a chancellor but Helmut Kohl. (German chancellors can serve for an unlimited amount of time as long as they're re-elected, there is no limit of two periods or something.) I feel bad about it, but I can't help it. He never was a real "person" for me, but, well, more of an idea (in the categories of kings and queens: I was rather surprised when I learned, at age 7 or so, that there are still kings and queens. I thought they were extinct...), and apparently my brain fails to wrap itself around the idea that it is a person who has died. The head of the Catholic church is, well, more of an ideal than a reality. One aspect dies, another aspect takes its place. Mythical patterns. Very cold and impersonal and strange, but I can't help it.
*shrugs*
If I were feeling really courageous, I might admit now that I'd secretly hoped he would die last October when I actually was in Rome. You know. To be sort of close-up. Although that sure would have killed my visit to the Sistine Chapel.
I'm not Catholic, so I don't have anything to do with popedom really, anyway. I suppose I don't even need to pretend to be sad, because he has a) "gone home", b) lived a long life, c) been very ill and d) apparently looked forward to his death in the end.

I suppose thinking about this thing so much proves that there is still some charm in the idea of mythical patterns and persons manifest. Looking at the media pictures of people's reactions certainly seems to prove that. *shrugs*

I'm babbling.

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( Geburtstage und Papst-Gelaber )

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