Saturday, April 23, 2005

Death

We carry on in our lives almost assuming immortality. We seldom think, that one day, death will become us. We live life, each day as it comes and the funny thing is we are so unaware at the possibilty of today being the last time you sleep. Today, could be beginning of a spiralling downfall to your end. As morbid as the topic maybe, I can't help but post about it. Surprisingly, am overwhelmed by the thought of death. We've all had relatives, friends, colleagues who've passed away...and there is that difficult emotional pain....the sympathy and empathy...but we've always been on the outside lookin in. It's always been THAT person passing away.

Am sure we're all grateful for life. But, have you ever thought of what your death will be like. How will we depart? Will it be an accident, illness, homicide, suicide(not with the way my shrink is working overtime)...of all the things we can control in our own lives-death is not one of them. Death is superior. We are defenceless! Ignorant! Clueless!

Will it be re-incarnation? Will it just be eternal darkness-like a bulb going off forever? Regardless of religion, seriously, what is the vision of hell and heaven, if they exist? No, this is not a philosophy debate, but yeah- what if they didn't exist or they did? Of course, hell is more than burning and licking flames. Surely, by the third day you'll be used to that scorching heat! So, what's GOD'S true in-depth meaning of HELL?!?! or HEAVEN for that matter. What comes after we breath our last breath?! There is death after life, but is there life after death?!

Anyway...of more interest what will it be like back here on earth....

-do u realise that u have already taken the picture that shall be posted in ur orbituaries? or will have by then...
-do you have a preference as to what picture will be posted? everytime you take a passport picture has it ever hit you this could be the one that will inform of your funeral arrangements!
-who will read your eulogy?
-what will they say? have you led a worthy life?
-who will attend your funeral?
-who will be sad you're gone? and i do mean genuine vale/litres of tears?
-what influence will your demise have on other's life? what impact are you to your friends ?
-what will happen to your blog? will people know you're long gone or they'll assume that your too busy or chilling to garner maximum comments
-you in the coffin? smirk? favorite suit and tie? make up?(for the ladies)
-who will be your pall bearers?
-who will be the first to know that you are gone?
-what will your name be associated with? what memories will be induced with the mention of your name? What reputation or spirit will you name be proceeded by?

So many unknowns. So many questions that we shall never know the answers to-until its time. Time to understand the complex mysteries of the world. What is the true meanin of life...and worse still the true meaning of death. We cannot fathom either till the very end! realise our full

So as each we live each day, lets ponder for a few seconds...1mississipi, 2mississippi, 3mississippi...

-who will be affected
-how and why will they be affected
-and more self centredly...what will happen to me

In death we shall realise our full circle!

21 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whoa... of all your posts I think this is one of my favourites.

Partly because it touches on something I and a few of my friends in Lancaster have been dealing with.

We lost someone a few days ago in the the most unexpected and sudden ways. It was something that troubled me but I didn't feel comfortable blogging about. Yet reading your post; you have summed up a lot of what I had wanted to say. Thanks.


The questions you ask are really hard to answer in one go but I shall try.

I know what obituary picture I would like. The one of me with dancing with a bottle of Malibu in my life. That is how I feel my life has been and should continue to be: one long dance.

As for blogging and death. I was going to email you this link the other day:
Some bloggers never die

I have a feeling I shall come back to comment more on this post..

4/23/2005 10:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I can now see what you meant by 'deadly' post:) Thoughtful post and really well written, nephew.

There is a native-American prayer/poem that I really love and which I would love to be read when I am dead.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there,
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight
On the ripened grain.
I am the gentle Autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there.
I did not die.
My Spirit is still alive...

4/23/2005 11:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I too have been thinking about this. And I am seriously considering registering as an organ donor. It is “not in our culture” I hear constantly but for me this decision would say more about my life than my death.
I have a slight feeling of what my memorial service will be like, though not my funeral. Who knows I may be lost at sea!
As for Mentalacrobatics.com.. Contingency plans were made for that ages ago just incase. I can’t say the same for my email accounts though!
:-)

Ya’ll might find this article from back in the day kidogo interesting:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1305125,00.html

4/24/2005 3:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

here is the live article link:
article link
pole for the double comment!

4/24/2005 3:16 AM  
Blogger bee said...

There is no use hanging on to your body when you are dead. You can't see whether the shoes you wear make your feet look big...so why the fluffy coffins and the expensive dresses. It's for those you leave behind.
When I die I want to be cremated. That way I take up less space, and whatever organs can be salvage use them. This reminds me of the traditional, leaving the body to hyenas. Hey it feeds the animals and definately lowers funeral costs.
I am not important. Why should I try to cling to importance when I am already dead. Why the ceremony.
I'm still here and I will be back.
Not as me, however.

4/24/2005 8:34 AM  
Blogger Ms K said...

LOL!! Ati what will happen to my blog? LMAO!!

@Kui
Pole about your friend.

@Mshairi
I absolutely love that poem. Never seen the full version though so thanks!

About the makeup, I lost a good friend of mine a while back. One of the worst moments was when they asked us to put some makeup on her, and I couldn't. I just couldn't. And it broke my heart to think I couldn't do such a simple thing for her. It made me feel like I let her down.

Oh well, life is what it is and death, is what comes after it.

4/24/2005 10:01 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sasa Nini Nicko?! why do you have to ruin my weekend like so with the blog on death? Now I will be paranoid all week!

Daud El Rude(When I grow up...I want to be an American!)

4/24/2005 10:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have slept on this one lakini bado i dont know what to say. It's really got me thinking though

4/24/2005 4:53 PM  
Blogger admin said...

Bless you, my child.

4/24/2005 5:28 PM  
Blogger Ka said...

good one Nick.
I can't believe you asked what will happen to your blog??i swear,downward spiral!.
Never thought about the service i would want,seems too morbid.However,my friends know that i want my makeup to be as impecable as it always is and that if they mess up and have me looking like a $2 dollar whore,i'm haunting their asses for afew years.
LOL@commentor pope benedict xv1 above,isn't that semi blasphemous?

4/25/2005 7:39 AM  
Blogger kipepeo said...

wow.i was going to blog about death myself..2 nights ago i dreamt that i died, dont know why i was dying, but i felt my last breath and i closed my eyes and it was the most peaceful thing ever...so i have been thinking about all these things @ mshairi...i love the poem
@ bee...i want all my organs used as well and i want to be cremated and my ashes spread over some ocean..:)

4/25/2005 12:43 PM  
Blogger Guessaurus said...

@Nick - good on you man - that is excellent stuff. Death confuses the hell out of me. I dont get it (I know its easy, you die)but I refuse to believe that that is it. End. what is the whole point of life then? Having said that, I dont believe in reicarnation, and I dont really know about heaven - it just feels so black and white.

But, I want to be creamated, and all my usable organs used.

I will read this again.

@Mshairi - I know that poem too, but I can now have a copy of it. Thanks gal.

4/25/2005 5:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As per kawa, Nick, you've raised another profound question. Personally I'll have my ashes scattered across Africa like Nina Simone was. What about the Rapture and the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse?

And as for weblogs, emails, kina yahoo/hotmail delete accounts when they're inactive for a few months so... someone else will seize your email address/ blog!

Each is like a grain of sand in the universe's beaches but each is unique.

4/26/2005 4:13 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

4/28/2005 3:20 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

4/28/2005 3:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nephew, you are my favourite blogger and your blog is the funniest:)No more sulking, ok?

4/28/2005 3:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HEY HOW MORBID, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF ALL THE UNCERTAINITIES IN LIFE, DEATH IS SURE, WELL AND THE TAX MAN.
BUT I HAVE THOUGHT OF IT LONG AND HARD-MY DEATH. I HAVE ACTUALLY ASSIGNED MY PALL BEARERS AND SOMEONE MAKE THAT THREE PEOPLE TO READ MY EULOGY... SHOULD THEY OUTLIVE ME.
I HAVE BEEN AT THE BRINK OF DEATH THREE TIMES THEREFORE I'M ON MY PROVERBIAL FOURTH LIFE. DAMN THERE MUST BE A GOOD REASON FOR THAT, REMIND ME TO ASK GOD.
SOMETIMES I THINK ITS BETTER TO DIE SOONER THAN LATER COZ I OBVIOUSLY BELIEVE IN HEAVEN. AND AS YOU CAN SEE I'M NOT SUICIDAL. WHAT KWAZAS ME THE MOST IS HOW I'LL DEPART.... BEING IN AFRICA THAT RANGES FROM LION LUNCH TO MOSQUITO LUNCH.
I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE BUT THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF DEATH SHOULD BE THE BURIAL OF YOUR OFFSPRING-NOW THATS TOUGH. OTHERWISE FOR ALL THE LIFE AND DEATH MIRACLES I HAVE SEEN IN MY RATHER SHORT LIFE... I BELIEVE IN AN AFTERLIFE... A GOOD ONE....I BELIEVE IN HEAVEN!

4/28/2005 5:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a flu and now I feel like I'm dying ,thanks to you mr gichu:-).

4/28/2005 10:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Forgot to say.. what about your will? Would you surprise everyone and leave everything to a cat/dog charity?? And apparently there is a company which arrives at someones hse immediately they die and get rid of "embarassing stuff" or secrets before anyone else arrives!!

4/28/2005 11:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey
dont scatter roses after lm gone-give them to me while l carry on.
bring on the roses Nick-these cactus trees over here are an eyesore.
al make sure l die testate and guess who'll have my teeth(thats 4 the appointment that never was!)
lieura

5/08/2005 2:30 PM  
Blogger SHOBALI said...

Nicholas,
Bravo buddy, Your post on Death is Life Changing.
There are two kinds of people reading it, those who know 100% what will happen to them after they die. And those that would like to know. The solution is simple, Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in God and in Jesus also.It's not what many may want to hear, but it's the only way.

shobali

5/11/2005 12:04 AM  

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