Still haven't watched the Randy Pausch speech, but I'll get around to it, I swear.
I used to volunteer in the geriatrics ward at Somerset Medical Center. I guess it's different in some way, as you said, because the majority of patients there are focusing on getting better (though isn't it telling that the phrase is just "getting better" instead of getting well or completely cured?). But there was this woman once who seemed perfectly content to remain where she was. She had all these people come and visit her, day and and day out- and I would think it'd be a pretty good indication of how full her life had been, but there was just this. quiet-down ness? As you say? I don't know. She was elegant, but not heroic, in her waiting.
Another thing, I guess I wanted to say, is that I can see myself wanting to enjoy my last year of life the same way as you would. Because right now the only philosophy I can see fit to ascribe to, no matter how cliche, is that of carpe diem. In truth, though, I don't know how much of that is influenced by fiction, by society, by life's expectations that all human beings should treasure every minute of every day that they're alive and foster that survival-instinct... Because really, there are so many books and movies and people that talk about death, and facing death, it's like, no one's really going into it untouched anymore. We've all got preconceived notions of how one is supposed to face the subject. ::shrugs:: Kinda feels too contrived, somehow, if one were to talk of valiance and heroics now.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2007-10-06 06:16 pm (UTC)I used to volunteer in the geriatrics ward at Somerset Medical Center. I guess it's different in some way, as you said, because the majority of patients there are focusing on getting better (though isn't it telling that the phrase is just "getting better" instead of getting well or completely cured?). But there was this woman once who seemed perfectly content to remain where she was. She had all these people come and visit her, day and and day out- and I would think it'd be a pretty good indication of how full her life had been, but there was just this. quiet-down ness? As you say? I don't know. She was elegant, but not heroic, in her waiting.
Another thing, I guess I wanted to say, is that I can see myself wanting to enjoy my last year of life the same way as you would. Because right now the only philosophy I can see fit to ascribe to, no matter how cliche, is that of carpe diem. In truth, though, I don't know how much of that is influenced by fiction, by society, by life's expectations that all human beings should treasure every minute of every day that they're alive and foster that survival-instinct... Because really, there are so many books and movies and people that talk about death, and facing death, it's like, no one's really going into it untouched anymore. We've all got preconceived notions of how one is supposed to face the subject. ::shrugs:: Kinda feels too contrived, somehow, if one were to talk of valiance and heroics now.
On that note, I was reminded of Dylan Thomas' poem: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15377