Upon My Death... - Not A Satire Piece (pt. 1 of 3)

Perhaps there is no more sensitive a subject than death. Yes, it is taboo to bring up religion at the dinner table, and you likely shouldn't broach politics over a casual cup of coffee. These are controversial ideas that inspire heated debate, no doubt. Insatiable argument, furious anger, even. And those are surely not comfortable things. But death is another kind of sensitive. While religious debate make us jump out of our seat and politics inspires us to hurl shoes at international figures, the idea of death makes us shift uncomfortably in our seat. Death elicits tears from those whom you thought were incapable of showing emotion. Death makes us stop what we're doing.

It should be obvious why our mortality is held in such an uneasy reverence. As you go about your daily life, it's not often that you consider how fragile life is; and as you shouldn't, life isn't worth grieving over if you can't marvel the little things and sometimes dance in frivolity. This, however, makes it all the more shocking when suddenly that impenetrable mental wall of invincibility is torn violently down. Sometimes it's a loved one, and obviously that hits hard emotionally. But sometimes it's just a vague acquaintance, perhaps someone you didn't even know. Something is perhaps even more grounding about passing a certain person in the hallway everyday at a certain time, and then suddenly... you don't. It happened to them, and it can happen to anyone at anytime. Your life is not inherently less susceptible than any one else, although the deeply rooted egocentricity of all self-conscious beings usually hides that. All it takes is one moment to remind you that death is very real, and no one is Superman.

It's strange yet remarkable how we as a species have adapted to our inevitable mortality. Let me get abstract here. While primal animal instinct urges us to fight at all times to fulfill our own needs, to place ourselves above all others and above all, survive as long as we possibly can, it's not black and white. Not even close, really. As technology and general workings of the world have advanced, organized society, comforts and luxuries continue to separate us from this straight-forward live-or-die mindset. Combine this with the understanding that science has advanced, and that there is clearly abundant information regarding our liveliness. Although ways in which to maintain an optimum well-being will likely continue fluctuate throughout time as it has, I think it's probably apparent to everyone at this point that they WILL die eventually.

And this knowledge, and the conscious effect it has on us, is largely what sets us apart.  This is a world where one is no longer forced to fend for himself, instead you live with in the confines of society and ideally live a comfortable, fulfilling life; all this while understanding you will eventually pass on, and the world will continue to exist. For different people, this means different things. Restrained by the seeming meaninglessness of his existence, a person brings a loaded gun onto his college campus, striving to be recognized, remembered... to leave an impact on a massive, indifferent world. Or... maybe, a person recognizes his definite lifespan and yearns to live vicariously through mankind, eventually contributing to a massive breakthrough in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Death is a scary thing. I don't think anyone doubts this. But I like to think that understanding it for what it is helps you find what you want from it.

to be continued.