I found (a not entirely grammatically correct variant of) this on the Random nodeshells page; figured it might be worth writing about.



This is a loaded sentence. It may not seem so at first glance, but the more you think about it, the further it casts its net into a sea of issues. On the surface, it looks like the Rock Star motto of "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young". But going beyond, it seems to be coming from a place of fear. The fear of growing old, of feeling weak and dependent on others, of potentially not having anyone to depend on, of feeling like a burden on others.

I'm not entirely sure how to feel about this idea. On one hand, there's the Catholic approach of how sacred life is. It points out that life is a gift from God; it is meant to be lived to its fullest and death should never be sought out, not even in one's fantasy. On the other hand, there's the idea that one should be allowed to end their life whenever they so choose. Many people with different philosophies have commented on this and related topics, picking one side or another.

While I do tend towards the opinion that one should want to live the most they can, I can't deny that at least some part of me can associate with the topic. I've seen my grandparents; I wonder how I'll handle myself when (if) I reach that age. Recently when I went back to India to revisit family, I ended up dehydrated* which left me feeling physically weaker than I had ever felt in my life. It got me thinking about how physically weak people must feel once they hit a certain age. Wouldn't it be nice to just...bypass all that?

That said, any such sentiment is really only valid when you only have yourself to worry about; when you depend on no one and no one depends on you. The moment that changes, your responsibility is to maintain their well being, not just yours. And so while I'm still unsure as to whether to agree or disagree with the topic, I believe that when one is in a situation where they live for more than just themselves, maybe having such hopes should be put aside for the sake of others. It is a sacrifice, but one that should be worth making.




*Don't go to Bombay in the summer; go in the Monsoon or the Winter. Unless you're already living in a country along the same latitude in which case you're already half way to hell and it's really no different.

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