Gotcha, didn't I?
Well, prolly not. You see, Kottu shows the first few lines of every post, not just titles, so the attention grabbing titles are of no use really. Vot to do. So yeah, I'm not going to die or anything - in fact I'm as healthy as I can be and as happy as a bee! By the way, who came up with this 'happy as a bee' line? I mean, how do you know if a bee is happy or not? Did he conduct an interview or something? For all we know, they may be spending a life as shitty as Ranil W right now. I think it's got something to do with the buzzing. Poor guy, didn't he know that everything that buzzes is not necessarily happy? If he's right, cell phones and door bells must be two of the happiest things on earth.
Anyway, back to topic.
Have you ever stopped to think how you'd feel if you got to know that you've got only a few months left to live? Say you get to know that you've got some incurable disease, one which guarantees nothing but death. Just three months is all you have. What would you do?
Think I'll be shit scared more than anything else, at least at first. No matter whatever is being said about death, how some people are not afraid to die, they all feel the fear of death at least at the very last moment. Except perhaps the ones who lost all the reasons to live. But the fact remains that the fear of death is the driving force that keeps life going. Ironic isn't it?
But then what would you do? Would you be so scared, and let the fear over take you? Would you be a victim of fear, go mad, before the actual disease gets to you? Or would you be withdrawn from everything, and sulk in a corner until the last day? Get so angry and scream at everyone and everything that gets on your way? Perhaps go on about your life, doing what you do, because there is nothing else to do? Or would party like there's no tomorrow - come to think of it, there isn't - and do whatever you wanted to do, making those few months the best of your life? Honestly, I don't know. But I like to think that I would chose the last if I was faced with it, though I wish that I won't have to face it in the first place.
There was one man though, Randy Pausch, who faced exactly this situation. Dunno if you've heard about him, but in case you haven't, it's a story worth knowing. He was - yes, he was - a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. In mid 2007 he got to know that he had an incurable cancer, and was left with only a few months to live. I can only imagine what he must have gone through. But in the end he refused to bow to death, he refused to look glum, instead came forward with a series of lectures about life which were totally, and I mean totally inspiring! His last lecture, titled Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, was a treat to watch. It's a bit long, but guys do watch it - use an hour you waste on FB - and you wouldn't regret. He talks about his childhood dreams, as the title suggests, and how important it is for someone to try to achieve them. However stupid, lame or useless they may seem. Because at the end of the day, it's the only thing you'd take to your grave with you - the thought that you achieved what you wanted in your life. Nothing else. I'm totally amazed at the courage of this man who managed a smile even while facing a certain death. Staying true to his profession, he taught us a lesson even in the last days of his life, a lesson for us all to remember.
Randy died on 25th of July 2008, aged 47, but as I see it, he lived a fuller life than most of us can dream of.
R.I.P. Sir!
Well, prolly not. You see, Kottu shows the first few lines of every post, not just titles, so the attention grabbing titles are of no use really. Vot to do. So yeah, I'm not going to die or anything - in fact I'm as healthy as I can be and as happy as a bee! By the way, who came up with this 'happy as a bee' line? I mean, how do you know if a bee is happy or not? Did he conduct an interview or something? For all we know, they may be spending a life as shitty as Ranil W right now. I think it's got something to do with the buzzing. Poor guy, didn't he know that everything that buzzes is not necessarily happy? If he's right, cell phones and door bells must be two of the happiest things on earth.
Anyway, back to topic.
Have you ever stopped to think how you'd feel if you got to know that you've got only a few months left to live? Say you get to know that you've got some incurable disease, one which guarantees nothing but death. Just three months is all you have. What would you do?
Think I'll be shit scared more than anything else, at least at first. No matter whatever is being said about death, how some people are not afraid to die, they all feel the fear of death at least at the very last moment. Except perhaps the ones who lost all the reasons to live. But the fact remains that the fear of death is the driving force that keeps life going. Ironic isn't it?
But then what would you do? Would you be so scared, and let the fear over take you? Would you be a victim of fear, go mad, before the actual disease gets to you? Or would you be withdrawn from everything, and sulk in a corner until the last day? Get so angry and scream at everyone and everything that gets on your way? Perhaps go on about your life, doing what you do, because there is nothing else to do? Or would party like there's no tomorrow - come to think of it, there isn't - and do whatever you wanted to do, making those few months the best of your life? Honestly, I don't know. But I like to think that I would chose the last if I was faced with it, though I wish that I won't have to face it in the first place.
There was one man though, Randy Pausch, who faced exactly this situation. Dunno if you've heard about him, but in case you haven't, it's a story worth knowing. He was - yes, he was - a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. In mid 2007 he got to know that he had an incurable cancer, and was left with only a few months to live. I can only imagine what he must have gone through. But in the end he refused to bow to death, he refused to look glum, instead came forward with a series of lectures about life which were totally, and I mean totally inspiring! His last lecture, titled Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, was a treat to watch. It's a bit long, but guys do watch it - use an hour you waste on FB - and you wouldn't regret. He talks about his childhood dreams, as the title suggests, and how important it is for someone to try to achieve them. However stupid, lame or useless they may seem. Because at the end of the day, it's the only thing you'd take to your grave with you - the thought that you achieved what you wanted in your life. Nothing else. I'm totally amazed at the courage of this man who managed a smile even while facing a certain death. Staying true to his profession, he taught us a lesson even in the last days of his life, a lesson for us all to remember.
Randy died on 25th of July 2008, aged 47, but as I see it, he lived a fuller life than most of us can dream of.
R.I.P. Sir!
Posts
Wow.. that's a very inspiring post. Never heard of him.. I think but I bookmarked the video. Will definitely check it. And thanks for sharing Sach.
ReplyDeleteAbout what we'd do if we've only 3 months or so to live.. well.. I might wanna go on my trip around the world during those 3 months! lol
Thx Sach, yes he is an amazing person. I have seen him about a year ago. Very inspiring character.
ReplyDelete