Temporary Abode

“I think you’re depressed,” this (Medical) Doctor once said to me over drinks. I laughed and laughed. He had stumbled across and read my blog in full and was of the opinion that I was sad. I wasn’t surprised, as society seems to prefer to not have to think about and question different aspects of life as I often do in my (writing) thinking, but rather to flow with the strong tides of what is always accepted as normal. That would therefore lead to anyone thinking against the grain, to be viewed as crazy – or at the least, most tend to associate deep thinking with sad thinking.

Fortunately, I have already come to terms with my non-acceptance of what is considered normal. And while I am sure I am not depressed, I do accept that since my first inclination is always to think about things from a blank slate rather than a society-directed version of it – that I am either a touch of crazy, or the majority of the world is. But whichever is true, there are often good things that can arise out of “avoid-the-box" thinking.

I do remind myself I am going to die and write about it a lot more than what would seem normal, and I can see how that could seem a bit morbid. On the contrary however, for those thoughts to be morbid, the central theme of those thoughts would have to be about death itself, which it is not. In fact, the reminder that we are going to die, is completely about only one theme, and that is - Life. The fact that we are going to die should remain the main influencing factor in our daily lives and decisions. Hence, the concept of Death and it’s subsequent impact on life, is a topic which will continue to intrigue me.

I once asked a friend a simple question, “If I could tell you the exact date when you are going to die, would you be living any differently now?” He was pretty sure he would be. My next question was “What difference does it make now that you don’t know when it will be?” I believe I am still awaiting that answer. It is easy for us to live our daily lives within the confines of where our conscious brain is guiding us. The concept of death, because it seems to be something which will be a distant occurrence, coupled with it being a concept which is not entirely “digestible” by our mental processes – causes for it to be a concept usually held within the subconscious area of our brain. Almost to the extent that we somewhat  “forget” about it often, as our everyday lives play out.

Many times, in the moment of hearing about someone’s sudden death, or even while attending a funeral for example, one tends to question the meaning of life, if even for that moment. They are given a reminder that life is not permanent. This periodic nudge pushes the concept of death from subconscious to conscious mind, and we take some time to “consciously” think about it. Days later (sometimes weeks) those thoughts move back to their more permanent residence.

During the time the thoughts remained in your conscious brain, would you have made any decisions in those times differently? If so, should it not be that we are thinking the same way all the time? Sometimes I want to shake people (most times myself) and shout “Hello! Remember to live! This isn’t a rehearsal! Let’s do this!”

In everything we do, let us remember to "Live Consciously."