Comments on: Some more thoughts on questions we ignore

By: Russ

Russ — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:05:24 +0000

I don’t think it’s that Westerners don’t consciously think about death. They do, but just in a different, sort of pre-planned way, which is precisely why they spend the first 65 years of their lives working up that corporate ladder. I think that those in the West are clearly aware of the fact that we will die, the difference though is that most think their death will be planned, just like their lives, and thus they spend the majority of their life securing comfort for their final years. The real issue is that death isn’t thought of something that can happen any time, it’s something that only happens when we are old, which is why so many tend to stay safe and cautious during the middle years.

You also alluded to religion, and it would seem to me that based on the numbers of people that are religious, that they are actually thinking about death daily, otherwise what would they need their religion for, if not to secure a good place in the after life?

Switching gears a bit, you said those 9 to 5 lives are not lives lived, and I agree completely. The sad thing is that I am one of them, I was taught that you get a safe job, work up the ladder, save money and protect yourself for when you get old. It never occurred to me that you don’t have to do it that way until a few years back. And now I’m trying as hard as I can to undo all those things I learned, lol.

Btw, thanks for stumbling across my site the other day, now I have some reading to do over here!

By: Karin

Karin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:44:01 +0000

Hi Richard,
I just happily re-stumbled across your blog and this time it’s bookmarked!
Trying to live with a consciousness that time will run out, that you will die, like it or not, is not something we Westerners do very well. We don’t even talk about death easily, preferring any kind of euphemism to the word died or dead. My favourite one is the African question – is your mummy late? (my late mother).
Like you, I’m trying to live with the question -what will this mean when I come to the moment of death? What will I regret? What will I celebrate? I would like to be able to celebrate many happy hours of doing what inspires me. I’m working on finding out what that is right now. Our society isn’t comfortable with people who leave the 9 – 5 box, which means that work ethos of job, savings, house, car, retirement, is a strong internal directive and hard to escape from. But you could step in front of a bus tomorrow and I bet your last thought will be ‘oh shit I never climbed that mountain/did the bungy/ firewalked when I had the chance..’ and not ‘yippee at least I put in my 8 hours plus yesterday, got home grumpy and spent the night in front of the telly…’
The buddhists say ‘Great is the matter of birth and death. Impermanence surrounds us. Be aware each moment, do not waste your life.’

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:19:43 +0000

Hi Linda!

Wow – I remember that bowl. I think it had flowers or something petal-like cut in the outside as a design. I am also pretty sure it broke, but then anything that was let near stupart children in their formative years usually did. At least in the case of my brother and I :)

Thanks for the compliments though – do you have a blog? I would love to read it!

By: Linda Stupart

Linda Stupart — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:22:34 +0000

Hi Richard,
This may seem strange, but I found you and John while (of course) googling myself. After I got over being annoyed that your blogs beat the things that I’ve written, I can’t help feeling very strange about the fact that a) we are first cousins (I am Jasper’s daughter)
b)I have one very fuzzy memory of both of you, involving a crystal bowl that gran had that was filled with sweets made out of Fimo. I think the bowl broke, but I can’t be sure.
c)You write well, and take some beautiful photographs.
We would probably get on. (I am a theorist, critic and artist)
Anyway.
Hi.
x

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:53:38 +0000

17 days before your 40th? Now if there isn’t a story there, then I have no idea where one might hide. Would be great to read about it when you go. If you can put any pics on Flickr of what comes after, that would be super :)

By: eileen

eileen — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:03:51 +0000

If tradition is borne out, I die 17 days before my 40th birthday. I am concious of this looming possibility every day. People find this terribly morbid, and insist that it’s not true. It makes it easier for them, I think. If I go, I go. But I’m going to write about it first. I’ll let you know what that looks like.

Thanks for writing this, and for the links as well.

By: Chris Guillebeau

Chris Guillebeau — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:46:57 +0000

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the link, but mostly, thanks for writing this. Great thoughts. I enjoy your site.

All the best,