Thursday, September 10, 2009

On the subject of death (#223)

Now, this is not going to be an easy topic to expose to the light of reason and commentary. I had always feared death as an end-all to all. I have softened in that fear because the struggle of life does tend to wear the enthusiasm for life just a bit. Maybe it is because my body has begun to show signs of aging. Or maybe it is because the mysteries of life are not so mysterious anymore. Maybe it is because I am not so young and worried that I might miss out on life at an early age. The fear that I feel for the inevitable consequence of death does not have such an impact on me physically or emotionally, like it did in years past. All things in nature have a due date except existence itself. I know this because existence will always be in some form, whether we recognize it or not. I say this as my understanding of how existence presents itself within my reasoning and logic. I do not state this understanding I have as a fact, just a rationale. Regardless, we must, as humans, rationalize the end of our lives with the logic we accept as the current truth. Words, they are so easy to speak at times, but are much more difficult to incorporate through action. I know this as my experience, especially with the subject of death. I am not looking forward to death with any anticipation except an unwanted anticipation. Death will have it's day with me and I am reconciled to that. But as the poet Dylan Thomas wrote, (paraphrased) I will continue to "...rage against the dying of the light." It is so important to live all my moments with an urgent sense of purpose within this society and the rules and boundaries we allow ourselves. I will never bow to death but I will admit it's reality.

No comments: