BREVITY: You, too, are going to die…soon! (Lessons from Fawcett and Jackson)

Guys, I need to run to dinner, I'll check back in an hour or so....


Thank you all for the replies....

OT hungry!

reply to post by OldThinker


The Portuguese TV has been always flooded with US productions (and Brazilian soap-operas), and I remember well Farrah Fawcett from Charlie's Angels.

Also, being a fan of music (all types of music), I knew Michael Jackson from the Jackson Five and his solo career, some songs like "Ben" and "One day in your life" from his earlier solo career and all albums since "Off the wall", and although not my favourite type of music I considered him an excellent artist.

But to me both were just people that I never really knew, I never talked to them (or, more correctly in this Internet age, I never communicated with them), so although I think it's a shame when someone that is only 50 years or even 62 dies (my grandmother died when she was 65, my mother was only 49 when she died), it does not really shocks me.

It may also be because I have known many deaths in my family (I remember a total of 8 people from my closest family) or because I never considered death as something shocking (obviously I was very sad with the death of my closest family, I don't deny it, but I think that is just a selfish reaction of someone that thinks that he lost the possibility of seeing and talking to someone he loves), I knew from an early age that I could die at any moment because of my health problems (when I was 5 I had to go to a hospital with an asthma attack, and from then on I knew that if I strained myself physically I could die, and it's not a nice way of dying), I don't really know, but I am never too affected by someone's death (except those from my closest family, naturally).

PS: as a reference, and for those that do not want to go to my profile to see my age, I am 46 years old.

PPS: everything is fine here in Portugal, except the weather.

1) Do you see validity in the survey results?
Indeed, its good to be contemplative.

2) What have you learned from these recent shocking deaths?
Silly humans

3) In what ways have your life experiences helped change your mind on what’s important?
That death is not the worst thing in life

4) How will you ‘reflect’ more?
live

5) How will you ‘risk’ more?
Through honesty

6) What are you doing that will outlast you?
Even "great deeds" are fleeting things.

reply to post by namehere


namehere, Nice replies...

very introspective, where are you from?

OT

Originally posted by ArMaP
...........It may also be because I have known many deaths in my family (I remember a total of 8 people from my closest family) or because I never considered death as something shocking (obviously I was very sad with the death of my closest family, I don't deny it, but I think that is just a selfish reaction of someone that thinks that he lost the possibility of seeing and talking to someone he loves), I knew from an early age that I could die at any moment because of my health problems (when I was 5 I had to go to a hospital with an asthma attack, and from then on I knew that if I strained myself physically I could die, and it's not a nice way of dying), I don't really know, but I am never too affected by someone's death (except those from my closest family, naturally)........

A, Thank you for the steallar response and for being SO VERY transparent here on ATS...its a rarity for sure...

OT

reply to post by OldThinker


hmm, im in the southeast US.

oh im 27 too.

Originally posted by namehere
reply to post by OldThinker

 

hmm, im in the southeast US.

oh im 27 too.

Lotta wisdom from the SE, there namehere...


27????


You have great PARENTS, huh?

Tell them, they were good/smart, ok?

You are very smart!!!!!

OT

Originally posted by lightchild
1) Do you see validity in the survey results?
Yes, It's a shame most people can't see it before hand.

LC!

Great, wise, point there...


Wonder why many don't see this early???

OT

reply to post by OldThinker


sorry bout' my short messy replies, these arms aint working very good no more.

reply to post by OldThinker


I think alot of people aren't given the proper tools to see much of anything before they are adults. And by them, their common sense (which is simply the collection of prejudices acquired by the age of 18) have ruined their ability to think critically about fundemental questions like the ones posed here.

It takes a cultural Icon to remind these people of what life truly is, and how to go about it in a "human" way instead of a mindless drone way.

It's all about education. Teaching our youth to question everything.

~Keeper

Originally posted by namehere
reply to post by OldThinker

 

sorry bout' my short messy replies, these arms aint working very good no more.

nh, please don't worry about that...

You wisdom is coming across LOUD and CLEAR...ok?

OT

The Bible, James 4:14 says, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are just a ‘mist’ that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

I've pretty much believed this for awhile - We're just a mist and then gone.
Because of that, I live life to the fullest. I take many risks why not, when the bible even sums up our life that way. I think it's all about doing everything you can and having as much fun as you can for the short time you're here.

It could all be gone tomorrow... What if I'm right?

I gave you a big old star and flag!

Originally posted by wyleecoyote

The Bible, James 4:14 says, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are just a ‘mist’ that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

I've pretty much believed this for awhile - We're just a mist and then gone.
Because of that, I live life to the fullest. I take many risks why not, when the bible even sums up our life that way. I think it's all about doing everything you can and having as much fun as you can for the short time you're here.

It could all be gone tomorrow... What if I'm right?

I gave you a big old star and flag!

Thank you for the STAR and FLAG, nice AVATAR/PICTURE, too...

Very nice, what made you join?

Have you contemplated this... www.tonycampolo.org...

OT honored...

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
.........It's all about education. Teaching our youth to question everything.

~Keeper

K, question everything?

Have you seen Lawrence Kolberg and his theory of Morale Development?

OT

PS: Here's an overview, ok?

Link: faculty.plts.edu...

PSS: The Princeton leadership have captured it well...
OT

Originally posted by ArMaP
reply to post by OldThinker

 

The Portuguese TV has been always flooded with US productions (and Brazilian soap-operas), and I remember well Farrah Fawcett from Charlie's Angels.

Also, being a fan of music (all types of music), I knew Michael Jackson from the Jackson Five and his solo career, some songs like "Ben" and "One day in your life" from his earlier solo career and all albums since "Off the wall", and although not my favourite type of music I considered him an excellent artist.

me, too!

Altho the soap opera's are new to me...

Yeah, he was a great artist....thx again for the replies....

OT

others, your thoughts on the OP questions?

Originally posted by grapesofraft
reply to post by OldThinker

 

Yeah his death was shocking. Life is short and it is easy to loose sight of what is important. Some times it is good for us to catch on to the idea that we arent going to be around forever. It puts things in perspective.

Grapes, to piggy-back your point above I just read this and decided to post...

Link: www.brevityoflife.org...

Excerpt:

The Bible speaks about the certainty of death from cover to cover. It also speaks about our longevity. "The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow for they quickly pass, and we fly away" (Psalm 90:10). The Bible encourages us to "number our days." In Psalm 90:12 it says, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." If we accept the fact that on average, we might live to be 70 years old, then we can know how to "number our days."

Take a calculator and key in 365. This number accounts for the days making up one year. Now multiply 365 by 70 (years) and you will get a finite number of 25,550. That is the average number of days an average person can anticipate living. Simple enough. Hardly the likes of "rocket science." Positionally then, we can all determine "where we are" in our own personal sandglass of time. If you are, for example, nearing the age of 35, then you are more or less "middle-aged." Half of your time is gone, or spent. If you are 70 years old or older, then many would say you are on "borrowed time" or "running on fumes;" much like the race car driver who passes up the last pit stop in an attempt to win the race. It is only a matter of time then, before the car finally stops!

Using another analogy, take your Bible, or any other book, and hold it between your hands in front of you. If this book represents the whole of your life span, then half of the pages represent half of your life lived and the other half represents how many pages of life you have left to go. Where are you in the book of earthly life lived today? How many more pages are left? What are you doing with them? What will you do with your page today?

The great American literary writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "This time, like every time, is a very good time, if we but know what to do with it."

Let's look at James 4:13-15, which reads, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"

Sobering for sure...

ill make this short and sweet.

If you are afraid of death, you have not truly lived.

Originally posted by whatukno
ill make this short and sweet.

If you are afraid of death, you have not truly lived.

Some people however, are just tired of living....and would rather have death than pursue their endless daily tribulations....especially older people. What I mean to say is that some people at some point, whether they have truly lived or not, would prefer death to their actual situation.

Originally posted by whatukno
ill make this short and sweet.

If you are afraid of death, you have not truly lived.

Thanks what...

Appreciate the thought..so true!

OT

How have you been?

Originally posted by Sarahko
What I mean to say is that some people at some point, whether they have truly lived or not, would prefer death to their actual situation.

THose have my prayers...

Life is definitely hard at times...

OT