June 17, 2012 - Know Your Walrus - Week 2 - Topic: Death
As you may or may not have noticed, I've renamed the blog project "Know Your Walrus." I think the new title more accurately reflects what I'm trying to accomplish. This week I'll be addressing my beliefs on the touchy subject of death. I thought this was going to be easy, but it isn't. It's a topic that I've talked about before but I don't think that I have dedicated a whole post to it. It's going to be difficult to keep it on point and not stray off onto other topics, but we'll see what happens.
Let me preface this post by saying that my thoughts on death are my own. I fully respect other beliefs and schools of thought. It's a subject that evokes many strong emotions and one that I'm a tad concerned to be writing about. Feel free to comment or disagree, I just ask that you be respectful about it and maintain a civil discourse. Your beliefs are yours and mine are mine. Lets keep the discussion gracious and agree that we're not going to change each other's minds.
Death: "The Dirt Nap" "Check Out" "Worm Food" "Pushing Up Daises" "Bought the Pine Condo" "Cash In" "Kick The Bucket" "Bought The Farm." They all pretty much mean the same thing. Your corporeal vessel has ceased all biological functioning which sustains a living organism. It's a very dry and clinical definition. There's not much to it. That is my belief regarding death, it is simply the cessation of life. The body will decompose, nourish the soil, which will feed the vegetation, which animals will consume. It's just the last stop in the circle of life.
I don't believe that I have a soul. I don't believe that there is some part of my consciousness that is going to continue on after my body ceases to be. I don't believe in an afterlife. My legacy will be determined by the lives that I touched and the mark that I made on them. I hope that I've led a good life and set a good example for others. I've tried to live my life by treating other people the way that I would like to be treated. I haven't always succeeded and at times have failed miserably. I think those failures are what help you grow and mature as a person. Hopefully after behaving selfishly you come out on the other side as a more thoughtful person; someone who is more cognizant of the needs of others. I've tried to bestow those values on my child. It think that is important for her to come to her own conclusions regardless of whether or not she agrees with me. As she becomes an adult I think it's essential to her development that she come to her own conclusions.
I'd like to think that the circle of friends and family that I have around me is a testament to my living right and doing the "right thing" for the sake of doing the "right thing." I'm not trying to be cliche' but I firmly believe that you reap what you sew; therefore, manners are their own reward.
I've had a great 41 years (and hope to have a few more). For the most part, I am regret free. I'm content with where I am and ok with the turn of events that brought me to where I am today. Sometimes you draw the short straw and have to check out early, but one thing is for certain: All of us will eventually succumb to the reaper.
Next week I'll delve into an easier topic.....religion.
