Do you think about your mortality?

When I was younger, I felt that I had accepted the fact that I would die and the thought of it didn't bother me at all. Of course, I thought I would live forever, too. Now, as I get older and I really--I mean REALLY--understand that I am eventually going to die, I don't like the idea of leaving this earth. I very much enjoy living and enjoying life, and I don't want that to end, so I am momentarily scared to lose it. I have no qualms, however, about what will happen once I die. I've always been in this thing for the journey. Death is going to be one hell of a journey! (see what I did there? It's important to have a sense of humor :))

I'm sure when I get old and closer to my time, I will be much more at peace with the idea of dying. However, as I was having this discussion with Deafbadger the other day, it's possible we will be able to hitch a ride on the immortality singularity express. The average life expectancy of my generation is probably going to be well into the 90s, which many people regularly living into their 100s. Technological and medical advances could continue to progress at a rate that continues to expand our longevity.

Wouldn't it be nice to live 500 years? Maybe in that time I could finally accomplish everything that I wanted. But then again, I always was a procrastinator. . . .
 
I thought about it for quite a while in the hospital after I learned that I had survived my first heart attack before I went to the ER. And I certainly thought about it while recovering from heart bypass surgery. And i think about it a lot more now thanks to my diabetes.
 
My father, brother, and both grandfathers died at age 43 or younger (totally unrelated causes, nothing genetic). So when I hit 43, I felt vaguely uneasy until I had my 44th birthday. Then "Whew, made it!" From that point on, every year has felt like a bonus.

The women in my family live a long, long time, well into their 80's or early 90's. And I still have one uncle living who is now 92. So I think I do have some decent genetics behind me.

Before I retired, I attended a retirement-preparation seminar. Among the things we were asked to do was write out what we were most proud of having accomplished, and what we would like to be remembered for publicly and privately. The next assignment was to write out 50 things we would like to do in retirement.

So far I've made quite a dent in that list, enough to make me think I need to write out a new 50. Some priorities have changed; there are a few things I'm no longer interested in, but other things have come up. I like to think I can keep on learning, keep on doing things, as long as possible.

As far as the kind of death - I don't really think about it much, other than to take what steps I can so at least my death won't be self-inflicted. I don't smoke (never have), don't drink, I buy safe cars and drive safely, I take care of myself to the extent possible, and so on. Beyond that, I don't worry about it.
 
I realized at some point I didn't need to really "leave my mark". Too many people on the face of the earth, past, present, and future - so very few will stand out.

What I can do? Be kind. Make life better for a few other people besides myself. If I am lucky enough to live to an old age, not to become one of those people who are found after already being dead for 6 months because no one noticed they were missing.

True, no one wants to go before they feel like they've gotten to the end of their life story. Very unsatisfying. It doesn't jibe with the mental image we like to have of our aged selves on our death bed, surrounded by loved ones who will mourn our passing.
 
deafskeptic said:
I thought about it for quite a while in the hospital after I learned that I had survived my first heart attack before I went to the ER. And I certainly thought about it while recovering from heart bypass surgery. And i think about it a lot more now thanks to my diabetes.
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I thought about it when I went into anaphylaxis from the antibiotics a couple of years ago and had to be shocked back.I realized then that if I were to die today, I would be perfectly satisfied with the way I have lived by life. Is that to say I haven't made mistakes or don't have regrets. No. It is to say that I feel comfortable with the fact that I have always done the best I could do in any given situation. Sometimes that best is better than others, but it has always been the best I could do under the constraints of the situation. That is all that any of us can do.
 
I don't really think about it much. Just enough that hubby and I have talked about what we want and things like that. I was always brought up to believe that once we are gone, there is no more suffering and no more pain. I can look forward to that, but quite frankly, even though I deal with so much pain right now, I am thankful that I have it and can be with the family.

Whatever will be, will be.
 
Beach girl said:
I think he does.

Is that sort of remark indicative of "the best you can do?"
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Definitely. My family, my friends, relatives,and co-workers are what keeps us going. And we'll remember each other, our families especially, probably for several generations worth after we die. But in 10,000 years...phhtt! Gone. Nothing to remember about. Buried under the billions and billions of faces of the past.
 
I know a lot of people that dies young ,my best girlfriend dies when she was
40 yo of a brain tumor. She dies a few weeks before her first grandchild was going to be born. My friend was born the same month and year as me.
Because I have know so many people that had dies I really do not worry about my mortality , I know there is nothing I can do to stop it and I have no fear of dying and if I where dies right now at my computer I would be fine with it.
Dying is apart of life.
I am sorry to hear about the lost of your friend.
 
Beach girl said:
I think he does.

Is that sort of remark indicative of "the best you can do?"
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Yep. Because in the grand scheme of things, none of us as individuals matter.:cool2: To let people believe that they are having some huge impact is to enable a delusion.
Is snarkiness the best you can do?
 
Unless you happen to be found under the ice on a glacier in Austria....:lol:

I'm not so much concerned about 10,000 years ago. I am concerned about the here and now, trying to make the world a better place.

And the older I get, the more I realize how much my early childhood memories meant to me, so I try to do little things for children generally, and for the little ones in my family particularly. I hope that some of the things I've created for the new baby, for instance, will be used by her and perhaps others to come, and eventually might be passed down to the next generation, if they're still usable.
 
Beach girl said:
Unless you happen to be found under the ice on a glacier in Austria....:lol:

I'm not so much concerned about 10,000 years ago. I am concerned about the here and now, trying to make the world a better place.

And the older I get, the more I realize how much my early childhood memories meant to me, so I try to do little things for children generally, and for the little ones in my family particularly. I hope that some of the things I've created for the new baby, for instance, will be used by her and perhaps others to come, and eventually might be passed down to the next generation, if they're still usable.
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10,000 years ago was not the reference. 10,000 years in the future was the reference. I guess you missed that in your attempt to get your snarkienss delivered quickly.
 
jillio said:
Yep. Because in the grand scheme of things, none of us as individuals matter.:cool2: To let people believe that they are having some huge impact is to enable a delusion.
Is snarkiness the best you can do?
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I'm not the one being snarky.

I believe every one of us matters. We don't have to make a huge impact as the world sees it, but we can make a huge impact on the lives of those close to us.
 
Beach girl said:
I'm not the one being snarky.

I believe every one of us matters. We don't have to make a huge impact as the world sees it, but we can make a huge impact on the lives of those close to us.
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Believe as you will. And I will believe as I will. And yes, you are indeed being snarky. As usual.
 
jillio said:
And you think you matter now?
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Everyone matters now.

Why on earth would you ask such a personally insulting question? Can't you ever leave anything alone?
 
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