Death

OK, so I’ve talked a bit about fun. It’s time to talk about death. One thing that is obvious is that none of us will get out of here alive. We’re all in the same boat. I could list all the euphemisms that we use to avoid the term death, but you know them all. The fact is that, as a culture, we are in denial. That denial extends to me, I’m sure, but I’m determined to look this one in the eye without flinching. I just saw a book on facing death called Staring at the Sun by Irvin D. Yalom. In this book the author suggests that looking straight at one’s own death is like staring at the sun—you can’t do it for very long.

So I’m putting it out here in broad daylight—I’m going to die. I don’t know when or how, but I’m going to die. I search in my being for emotional reactions to this statement. What I feel is a certain inner relaxation—like I’ve finally told the truth and stopped lying to myself and others. I have no death wish. I want to continue having as much fun living on this planet as I can, but the truth is this is just a temporary condition.

Try this on for yourself and see how it feels. I’m interested in your response. I’ve done it for several minutes now and I’m not blinded yet.