Hey Nostradamus! Part Two 1999: Jason

In the second chapter of the novel, “Hey Nostradamus!” by Douglas Coupland, the author describes a life of Jason Klaasen after a massacre took place 11 years ago.   He is living in the past and everyday seems to be a common day for him, a day without his wife, Cheryl; a day between him and his dog, Joyce.  He sees the world in different angle, as like he was trapped in the world on the day that he lost Cheryl.  He lost interest in society and ended his day in front of a beach with his dog.  While, he was there, at the beach, he writes some letter in the back of his bank slip.  As he was writing, Cheryl memories flashback to the day of a killing took place.  On that day, he walked to see Cheryl at the Cafeteria, but the unexpected things happened and totally changed his life.  He heard some popping sounds and thought it was from someone celebrates Halloween.  Irony, he was wrong.  As he walked, other students ran out from the cafeteria and the girl yelled at him about three guys were shooting students in the cafeteria.  That moment, he rushed to Cheryl location and later found his love, his dream, his wife, Cheryl was shot.  Jason remembered that he killed one of the killers with a rock that he threw from a distance.  He sat there with Cheryl in his arm, motionless to everything that just happening.  Cops came over, but he never let go of Cheryl’s body, until they’re pulled them apart.  That day, Jason lost his wife and on top of his pained and sorrowed; his dad called him murdered.  Luckily, he has his mom on his side.  There were some big argument between his mom and his dad about Jason killed a young boy, the killer, at school.  Moreover, he also described about the town has turned on him.  Everyone student from Youth Alive! thought that Jason has a rolled in the killing.  As words passed to the media the whole town against him, he talked about his stayed at the police station and sadly enough his mom has to stay at the motel, so she can be saved from people.  Couple years later, Jason found out about his brother, Kent passed away in a car accident.  The author also described a Jason’s dad, Reg, he is spending his times to pray for Kent on Exit number 5 where Kent dead took place.   All these years, Jason’s life is heavily affected for the lost of Cheryl, his wife, and his brother, Kent, and the feeling that his dad never on his side.  He has nowhere to turn to, except sitting here in front of a beach with his dog, Joyce and keep writing his sorrow on the back of his bank slip.  Fortunately, he saw one of the girls from school name Demi. They both begin to talk about the past and that is the only way to ease the pains that they have inside. 

After I read this story, I feel the pains and sorrows that Jason has gone through.  I heard from my doctor saying that, “Pain is not permanent and bad memories are lessons to learn.” I’m sure so many of us live in our own past, but the true is, the World is still revolving around the Sun.  Just like one rap song from Tupac, “Life Go On.” Well, I am one of the people that sometime dreams of my past and I pretend to live, but dreams are not reality.  Dreams are bad and some are good and anything that are unpleasant, I try my best to forget and move on in life because life is full of adventures for us to exploit.  I say all this that doesn’t mean I don’t feel any pains from Jason.  I do, especially when his dad doesn’t take his side and call him murder after losing the most important in his life, Cheryl.  While, I was in Camp Pendleton, so many Marines came up to talk to me.  As one of the medical support personnel, I try my best to give them advices that can bring their morale back.  Especially, when in combat, everyone has gone through so much in life.  To be save from any harms, we’re have to stay focus in life and deal with the problems a little each day and hope  one day we’re can ease those problems.