When Death Comes
It's on the way for everything and everyone, that's certain.
In fact, to look at it as something that's coming, as something that's down the road is not accurate.
In reality, it's here already, present in every single moment of our lives. To separate it out from life is to not see the full picture.
Living and dying exist together, co-operative elements in this thing we're doing. Like two sides of a wheel, as one side goes up the other goes down.
It's night and day, up and down, left and right, hot and cold. In between the two apparent extremes we exist.
There's none of us getting out of here alive, yet we live like death doesn't exist, then lose the plot when it comes around.
It's especially so when death comes to young people.
The young ones are not supposed to go early, they have a life to live. We stay until we're old, that's the deal, right?
Everybody needs to go on living for as long as possible. It's honorable and right to do so, to keep on going.
For me, there's something flawed about all of that.
Getting Used To Death
My wife is an ICU nurse, she sees people dying all the time. She and her colleagues appear to have a different outlook on death to the rest of us.
It's not that death becomes easy to take for people exposed to it all the time, but rather there appears to be an acceptance of it.
It's part of the deal.
Of course, we're not supposed to be happy when someone close to us leaves. But in all of that, I think we have a little emotional growing up to do.
Maybe if we tune out to the noise of things, turn off the TV, get out of our own heads and spend some time on our own, we could begin to see the actual reality of life.
To see the reality beyond social norms and flawed concepts.
Here's What Went Down On The Blog This Week
What got me thinking about death this morning was a short story I wrote yesterday called The Washerwoman.
It's a story about a simple conversation at the washing line, between two women at either ends of life one late spring afternoon.
Death features, that's all I'll say about it. You'll need to go read it.
Last Monday I started a new publication on Medium called Storymaker where writers and other creatives can share their stuff – check it out.
Later in the week, a theme of work began to surface. I talked about entrepreneurship, how art and business are not in opposition, and how artists can develop themselves as business people.
Here are all the articles from last week for you.
Monday – Storymaker: A New Medium Publication For Creatives
Tuesday – The Unemployable Generation
Wednesday – The Joy of Having Nothing To Do
Thursday – Artists; Want To Start A Business Blog? Here’s 10 Things You Need To Do
Friday – The Solopreneur: 16 Reasons Why You Need To Do Your Own Thing
Saturday – The Washerwoman
Sunday – You're reading it 🙂
That's it for this week peeps,
See you Monday
-Larry
Recently, someone I used to live near to suffered a massive heart attack and died. He was 42 years old, and someone who didn’t take very good care of himself. He was overweight, sedentary, but without doubt, one of the most humorous people I’ve ever known. While his death wasn’t unexpected, it was still shocking. He leaves behind a wife and three adopted children. But that is neither here nor there.
What his passing did is get me thinking…
When I married my wife (24 years ago) we both vaguely understood that at some point, one of us would outlive the other. If we were extremely fortunate, that wouldn’t occur until we were well into our 80’s. If we were very lucky, our 70’s. Fortunate, in our 60’s. Less lucky, 50’s. Any younger would fall into the tragic level. The death of this *friend* has certainly solidified my desire to embrace the time I do have, even if that feeling, that awareness ebbs and flows.
The actuality of death is often abstract for most of us. We know it is there, but are usually able to dismiss its constant presence. It is impossible to *Live each moment to its fullest potential*. That sort of life would be exhausting. Still, we can live with an awareness, a vitality, an appreciation for the now.
That is what I’m trying to do.
I agree with you Ryan, that would be exhausting. You know the simple things is really where it’s at. Gardening, hanging out clothes, washing dishes. They don’t have to be chores. They weren’t meant to be, but advertisers have caught on to these messed up minds of ours and sell this idea of saving ourselves from the inconvenience in ordinary things. We follow that rubbish for a lifetime, and then we die 🙂