Thinking about that death thing
After going to a funeral on Sunday, I have a few thoughts that came up about death. First let me say that I'm not a teenager with a morbid fascination with death, so don't take this the wrong way. This is just some thoughts occasioned by a funeral. This was the second funeral I've ever attended.
Death isn't something that we should be afraid of. Death is a change. It is a good change, although it is unknown, and therefore scary. We go through changes all the time. This year alone, for example, I went through a number of changes: graduating college, fearing for my future, doubting my ability to succeed, buying a car, moving to Boston, starting graduate school. None of these were comfortable changes, and I was afraid of each and every one of them beforehand. Afterward, though, I was glad that I had gone through each of these changes. I think death is the same way, but more so. It is terrifying, sure, a bookend to our life. But the other bookend was scary too.
Being born is just like dying. Imagine you are a fetus at term, just about to be born. You are warm and comfortable, nourished and protected. It is a pretty heavenly situation, but then it happens. You didn't want it to happen- the world is cold, bright, and hard- but you had no choice. It happened to you, and you couldn't stop it. You got born. You didn't like it, and you let everyone know by venting your anger the only way you could- by screaming and crying. But, now, on the other side of that bookend, you are glad that you went through it. You celebrate the occasion. You measure yourself by how long ago it happened to you. Maybe death is exactly the same.
People talk about living forever. I would hate that. Living forever is a curse, I would have to watch everyone I ever knew and loved get old and die. I would not only have to bury my children, wife, and friends, but my grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I would watch my family get so far removed that they would forget about me, their distant ancestor, eventually becoming like strangers, with no connection to this old-eyed young man. No thanks. Nor would I want everybody to live forever. That too would be torturous. After a few trillenia, the universe would get boring. Every person would know you like an intimate friend. Every skill that you wanted would be mastered. Every idea created. No thank you.
No, I have to say that I rather like life the way it is. It is messy and changing, but there is a place for me. I will grow up, watch my parents die, bring children into the world, watch them get started, and then follow my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents on to the next chapter. Will I be able to look back at the world? Will I come to understand my part in it, the outcome of my efforts? Will I be able to influence those still there? To all these questions, my answer is the same: I hope so, but if not, thats okay. Even if I couldn't, I'd do it anyway.
Death isn't bad, sign me right on up. In fact, put my name on that list twice! ;-)
Death isn't something that we should be afraid of. Death is a change. It is a good change, although it is unknown, and therefore scary. We go through changes all the time. This year alone, for example, I went through a number of changes: graduating college, fearing for my future, doubting my ability to succeed, buying a car, moving to Boston, starting graduate school. None of these were comfortable changes, and I was afraid of each and every one of them beforehand. Afterward, though, I was glad that I had gone through each of these changes. I think death is the same way, but more so. It is terrifying, sure, a bookend to our life. But the other bookend was scary too.
Being born is just like dying. Imagine you are a fetus at term, just about to be born. You are warm and comfortable, nourished and protected. It is a pretty heavenly situation, but then it happens. You didn't want it to happen- the world is cold, bright, and hard- but you had no choice. It happened to you, and you couldn't stop it. You got born. You didn't like it, and you let everyone know by venting your anger the only way you could- by screaming and crying. But, now, on the other side of that bookend, you are glad that you went through it. You celebrate the occasion. You measure yourself by how long ago it happened to you. Maybe death is exactly the same.
People talk about living forever. I would hate that. Living forever is a curse, I would have to watch everyone I ever knew and loved get old and die. I would not only have to bury my children, wife, and friends, but my grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I would watch my family get so far removed that they would forget about me, their distant ancestor, eventually becoming like strangers, with no connection to this old-eyed young man. No thanks. Nor would I want everybody to live forever. That too would be torturous. After a few trillenia, the universe would get boring. Every person would know you like an intimate friend. Every skill that you wanted would be mastered. Every idea created. No thank you.
No, I have to say that I rather like life the way it is. It is messy and changing, but there is a place for me. I will grow up, watch my parents die, bring children into the world, watch them get started, and then follow my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents on to the next chapter. Will I be able to look back at the world? Will I come to understand my part in it, the outcome of my efforts? Will I be able to influence those still there? To all these questions, my answer is the same: I hope so, but if not, thats okay. Even if I couldn't, I'd do it anyway.
Death isn't bad, sign me right on up. In fact, put my name on that list twice! ;-)
posted by Me at 8:57 AM
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