Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have read that dying is very similar to the birth process, which is also painful for the baby (squeezing through the narrow birth canal, being exposed to cold and light, etc.)
My, aren't you just the little harbinger of joy? Speaking for myself, I would hate to have such a dark and foreboding outlook on life and its processes and even if I were unfortunate enough to, I would hope I'd have the decency to keep them to myself.
Death continues to be just another fact of life and will come to us all, all in good time. Why dwell on something over which, when the time comes, we're likely to have little control? Regardless, some welcome the prospect and should be permitted to. Others have faith that renders it more of a comforting thought, and should be permitted that.
I will say again, I find this thread maudlin in the extreme and not appropriate.
As always, just one man's opinion and nothing more nor less.
Getting back to what inspired this thread . . . in retirement, I have developed a terrible procrastination habit . . . Part of me is just tired after years of working, going to school, taking care of everybody . . . Part of me just wants to have fun . . . thus, wasting hours on this web site (because I am a writer and writing and conversing and talking about stuff is fun for me) . . .
I also have this other part that is very disciplined and is working on some projects . . . I see I am sabotaging that part with what I deem for myself are "bad habits."
Now that I am retired, there is no structure to my day - I can basically do anything I want . . . and a big part of me does not want to do the things I have decided I "should" do . . .
But some of those "shoulds," I believe are part of my Dharma . . . my unique truth and life path - things I want to do to further my spiritual evolution, mainly.
I also don't want to leave this Earth in worse shape myself than I came into it - I want to have BETTER relationships . . . I want to have evolved myself in substantial ways and that takes effort.
I believe that contributing to this site has lots of positive impact on me - It allows me to express myself (God knows no one I know wants to hear me talk about all the stuff I write about - and I have a need to express myself), it allows me to work through things, to be exposed to different points of view, to consider other perspectives and to learn new things. So I don't really see it as a waste of time, per se . . .but I do see myself as being undisciplined and it helps me to get my priorities in order to consider the time I have left is not endless . . .If I want to accomplish "x" things I have got to work on those things . . .
I know on my death bed I will not say, "Thank God I got that Ph.D. done" - the Ph.D. is just a personal goal to finish something I started, but it is also, maybe, a vehicle to do some other stuff that I might want to do . . .or not . . .we will see.
The thought behind the memoir is to provide context to my family in a way that could be helpful . . . I am not sure how I will proceed with this because it is too mind-boggling at the moment . . . but I would like them to pass it down to their children or have this connection with a lineage . . . don't know if that will actually happen - they might toss it on the fire . . .and then I will have done it for myself - maybe I will learn something about myself in doing it, who knows?
The travel is just for fun and also experiencing other cultures - I have strong connections to some cultures and places and would love to indulge myself by immersing myself in those cultures - that may or may not ever happen.
They say you need something to look forward to and that is definitely true for me. I could never be satisfied watching TV endlessly or doing nothing. I need to be reading, writing, learning stuff, talking, processing . . . that is just me.
So this topic helps me by saying, "You will not be here forever." What do you really want to do today?
My, aren't you just the little harbinger of joy? Speaking for myself, I would hate to have such a dark and foreboding outlook on life and its processes and even if I were unfortunate enough to, I would hope I'd have the decency to keep them to myself.
Death continues to be just another fact of life and will come to us all, all in good time. Why dwell on something over which, when the time comes, we're likely to have little control? Regardless, some welcome the prospect and should be permitted to. Others have faith that renders it more of a comforting thought, and should be permitted that.
I will say again, I find this thread maudlin in the extreme and not appropriate.
As always, just one man's opinion and nothing more nor less.
I find it quite ironic that you keep saying, in this thread no less, over and over again, how much you detest this subject. Is someone forcing you to read it and actually contribute to it again and again?
You have also said more than once that it is your belief I should keep my thoughts to myself. I hate to break it to you, but this is a public forum and the idea is for people to share their thoughts. If you do not wish to read my thoughts, maybe the "ignore" button would be an appropriate remedy.
Just stating that death is like birth is in no way "depressing" from my vantage point. I actually have no clue what would be depressing about it.
I find it quite ironic that you keep saying, in this thread no less, over and over again, how much you detest this subject. Is someone forcing you to read it and actually contribute to it again and again?
You have also said more than once that it is your belief I should keep my thoughts to myself. I hate to break it to you, but this is a public forum and the idea is for people to share their thoughts. If you do not wish to read my thoughts, maybe the "ignore" button would be an appropriate remedy.
Just stating that death is like birth is in no way "depressing" from my vantage point. I actually have no clue what would be depressing about it.
Mitigation, if such a thing is possible. But there is a truism in there.
Some thoughts. Not all by any means and I really don't need to be reminded that this is a public forum. That's part of why I feel free to express opinions and anyonje and everyone is free to contradict me. Happens on occasion and I don't take umbrage. Nature of the beast.
It seems the thread has drifted from somber contemplation of our exit from this mortal realm to hand-to-hand combat in the here and now. Plenty of life left in you folks!
A few months ago my dad, who is in his mid 80's, had a severe heart attack and "died" twice on the operating table. He pulled through but said that the experience ended his fear of death.
He said it was just like being asleep, didn't have any "different" feeling at all (and didn't see a white light, nor float over the operating table).
What about the pain right before dying? How was that experience?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
