Death

[tinhuviel]

I've been thinking about its inevitability these past few days. Do others look in the mirror and state out loud "Someday, you will be dead, and there's nothing you can do about it" to their reflection? Every once in a while, I do that. I'm not afraid of death or dying. Some methods of dying make me uncomfortable. I don't want to burn to death or be tortured to death. I often think of cheating Fate and taking myself out, not because I'm suicidal but because I have control issues, and death doesn't allow for you to be in control.

Honestly, I think that people just go through life completely unaware that they are going to die. It's not up for debate. Death is going to happen to every last one of us and there is nothing any of us can do about it. Maybe it's a defense mechanism that we don't dwell on the fact that not only are we just going to die, but we are all in the active process of dying every single minute of every single day. It's sort of a mood killer and I can see where thinking about dying all the time may throw a wrench in one's daily activities. But I can't help but ponder it sometimes.

Comments

[bayberrybush.livejournal.com]

I think about that every day. Really. Cheery, I know.

[anomali.livejournal.com]

Me too.

[msmoon.livejournal.com]

You know...a friend of mine was having a baby, and the expectant father was waiting outside. Once they cleaned the baby up they put her in the 'observatory' thing where the dad can look through the window and see her. He was staring through the glass at her, and he started crying. Not this mournful sobbing or anything. Just the *tear slowly rolls down the check* type crying. I asked him what was wrong and he said something like, "My God...she's so beautiful but...from the moment she took her first break...she began to die." I thought it was a little odd at the time, but I suppose it was his way of telling himself "She's yours for a little while, but then you'll have to give her up." That was a long time ago, and I still think about that. These doctors telling us what to eat and not to eat because butter's bad for us and eggs are terrible...we're all gonna die anyway. Might as well enjoy the time we have...right?

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

I've thought about it more than once.

It's a philosophy thing, too.

Death is inevitable. It happens. It approaches without warning and without discrimination. I like that. The rich fuck up on the hill who rules the world is going to die, just like I am, and the worms are going to eat him, and we'll all be dust in the end, no matter how inequal things are now.

*nods* It helps, once in a while.

Memento Mori

[zitronenhai.livejournal.com]

I do that. The fact that I am going to die is a serious consideration in all my decision-making, too. Not just the casual "I'll be dead one day" thing but the real and serious "I'll be dead one day, and it could be later this afternoon for all I know" kind of thing.

I do look in the mirror every so often and remind myself that my own death is inevitable. A little more than 50% of the time, it actually cheers me up - not because I want to be dead, but because I enjoy the sense of urgency and the bizarre sort of freedom to do things I might not do if I thought I was going to live forever, but I'm twisted like that and would enjoy the Total Perspective Vortex because to me, being insignificant (and mortal) comes as a relief.

[mekkasimian.livejournal.com]

MEK DIE SOMEDAY...

...BUT TOMMOROW IN GREENVILLE INSTEAD!

(CHECK EMAIL)

=M=

[jonathonbarton.livejournal.com]

I think about the fact that I'm going to die one day all the time.
And I live my life with no regrets, therefore.

That episode of Grey's Anatomy, where the Anesthesiologist was talking about the "Red Mist" that the bomb squad talks about...where you're blown into mist by a bomb?
He ran out the door.
Me? I'd be hollering for them to get this fucking Flak Jacket offa me.

I fear not death.
I fear that it shall be painful.
I suck at pain.



...and the only thing worse than a painful deathe would be to LIVE, and have no fingers to type with.

Get this fucking flak jacket the fuck offa me. Now.

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

i don't fear death. i've been close enough to it on more than one occasion that i know what to expect. i think about it daily, too.

the best one can hope for is to go out at a time and in a manner of one's own choosing, without fear.

[aki-dreaming.livejournal.com]

This is why I support people who engage in passionate pursuit of dangerous lifestyles - why shouldn't they go out doing what they love?

If Jackie Chan dies in his sleep, he might feel a little robbed. I don't know. People have to be free to pursue what they love. I fear a world where they take from us everything worth doing because it might be fatal. Like living isn't.

[liliblackswan.livejournal.com]

The line from one of Jon Crosby of Vast's songs sums it all up for me. "Not a day goes by that I don't know that I am dying."
And instead of it being a self-pity thing, I see it as an anthem to live life fully, not waste a moment, if you can. It urges me to follow creative impulses and not procrastinate. That way perhap's even after I'm gone, I will leave something behind.
I don't think there's any reason to fear the fact of death (except the pain part) but there is great reson to fear not fulfilling our purpose to become the best that we can be and to experience as much as we can.
I too agree with the gift the urgency provides. It takes away my fear to take risks and allows me to face challenges. It's like a race or a gamble with the reaper. How much can I get done and get away with before I run out of time?

[silent-ic-river.livejournal.com]

Y'know, so much of this craziness we've got going on around the planet right now is people trying to kid themselves about death. Some idiot starts preaching as to how they've got the cure for death, the one and only cure, but you gotta do just as they say. Grr...
I gotta a lot of crap from a friend because I told my kids that someday, and no, mommy doesn't know when, the body they're in is gonna die. The person just freaked because I said to my kids not one word about Ghod or heaven or that but I said, "Look, you were ok before you were you, right?" and the munchkins nodded. "And you're ok being you, right?" More nods. "So, you should be ok when you're not you anymore, yes?" At this point Zoe sez, "But mom, what happens?" And I said to her, "Sweetie, we gotta take a hint from Peter Pan here, 'To die will be an awfully big adventure'".
One more note about my daughter...you may recall we sent her to a Baptist school this year. The last month there's been talk of hell and how to avoid it in the classroom. Zoe came home last week and said, "Hell is bullshit. Someone thought that up to scare people."

[aki-dreaming.livejournal.com]

*cheers Zoe*

*cheers Mom's icon*

[stacye13.livejournal.com]

I'd prefer not to drown or burn, if I had my choice of deaths. Though given the way I drive, it will be in a magnificant car accident. Except those freaky times when I drive over bridges and have the urge to just flick my wrist and send the car flying over the edge. That brings back to the drowning thing.

Billy is taking one of the dogs in to be killed this morning. It's been a sad weekend at our house - we kept waiting for the grim reaper to come claim her, but he taunted us for too long and we can't bear it any more. :(

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your dog. Is it old age or illness (or both)?

I thought I was the only one who was tempted to drive off bridges. Wow.

[stacye13.livejournal.com]

Old age pretty much. She was something like 16 years old. This weekend she stopped getting up, eating, and drinking. I think it was her way of telling us that she was ready to go. I just wish we hadn't had to take her to the vet. That is the suckiest part.

me too

[kajiracad.livejournal.com]

I often think of cheating Fate and taking myself out, not because I'm suicidal but because I have control issues, and death doesn't allow for you to be in control.

it is very much a control issue, rather than suicide pondering, for me. i didn't get to pick my family or my upbringing (altho i admit to skewing the latter a bit because i was plain-out smarter than they were).

i decided LONG AGO that i would chose where/when/how i "check out" unless the Universe, in its continuing search for higher plains of humor, slaps me down first By Accident.

[falkenna.livejournal.com]

I do try not to think much about it, but not out of fear. I just don't want to leave the party. I don't want to miss anything. I missed plenty before I got here, and I don't want to miss what hapens next. And I have **so** much left to do.

[aki-dreaming.livejournal.com]

What gets me, more than the complete oblivion surrounding death and the common yokel, is the resentment people feel towards it, as if it is something they "don't deserve" or "shouldn't have".

I don't get that AT ALL. It's just death. Buck up, take it like a fucking grown up. It's nothing personal, the world does not revolve around you, death is not a punishment, nor is it a fucking surprise.

What is wrong with people. I actively think about the fact that I'm dying every single day and I have for years. I think it makes me more practical. Life is 100% fatal and there's nothing wrong with that.

[podmeister.livejournal.com]

It's an interesting thought, and one a lot of people think about, more than they'd admit. I had a health scare recently and I was sat in my room, doing nothing out of the ordinary, and just trying to picture what it would be like if I was no longer there? How would the people around me change, how different would the lives of the people I knew be to how they would be if I was still around, particularly my family?
I also think about it in my line of work - I basically look after people until they die. And you're right, we avoid thinking about that. I think it's better this way, simply because I cannot interact with these people whilst the thought 'they are going to die soon' is floating around my head. I know they are, but it's better to focus on the *now* in that scenario. I just live without thinking about it - in my opinion it's better to carry on in ignorance and go out on the same level, rather than let life peter out
*step down from soap box*
I don't fear death