Often when death stares you in your face through someone else's dead eyes, you tend to question the futility of it all. Your dreams, hopes,plans - all of that can be swept away by death in one swift wave. And that's when most people advise that you should live each day as if it is your last.
But I do not quite agree. I mean, it is all nice and fair to say that you must always love and forgive and be nice, but there are times when you hold back your responses just because you know that you are going to continue with the other person for a much longer time. Often forgiving someone does not happen because of any magnanimous emotional enlightenment, rather it is a simple process of "it is too difficult now to fight with this person". But if I knew that it was going to be my last day, I would happily go scream my lungs out at certain people who have irked me. I would also spend a lot of money (my credit cards have very high limits!) and roam around the world as if no tomorrow exists.I would do all the things that I have always wanted to do, but did not, just because common sense and pragmatism won over emotional dreams and senseless adventure. But if I were to come back and realize that I am not gonna die after all, then I would really have a lot of mess in my hands! So, living life as if it is the last day every day is not going to really work out - at least in my case.
Some other people suggest that maybe there is an after life and this life should be creatively used to prepare for that after life which is going to be a union with God. While it is quite pleasant to think of sitting on God's lap, I am not willing to give up the pleasures of this life for an at best uncertain future :)
That leaves me with the question: If my life were to end unexpectedly, on some random day, then is there any thing that I can do differently today? Especially if I don't know when it will come - tomorrow or decades later, then it is difficult to do something about it. I guess that is why most people just get on with their normal lives till tragedy strikes closer to home. Till then I guess the stupid notion that you are not likely to die before 80 serves well!
I wish someone could clearly explain what death entails - I think it is scary because it seems so final and you are so helpless in front of it. When man conquers death, (which i am sure he will someday or the other) then the earth would definitely be a very different place to live. I believe the need to procreate will end when we reach that milestone!
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