There’s nothing in the world which teaches me to appreciate life quite the way death does.
When I was young, death seemed so far off for me that it didn’t seem real. Although I have a vivid memory of seeing the body of a man who had just been killed when I was about 10, that didn’t seem like something that could happen to me. It was only years later that I really found meaning in that.
I was one of the lucky ones who never had anybody in his life die other than the people we expect. My mother’s father died when I was about 5. I remember going to the funeral home and touching his cold body, but death didn’t seem surprising with an older person. All the other deaths I saw in the coming years were older people who were related to me. Not a one seemed surprising or “too soon.”
Some people experience a rough early introduction to death — especially those who unexpectedly lose a parent, a sibling or a close friend — but for me, death was almost an abstract concept.
Until the last few years. Death seems very real to me now.
Ten years later, it hurts to know she lost faith in me and gave up
The plan sounded fair at the time, but why did I pay for everything?
I have no ‘duty’ to vote, even if I agree with you about freedom
Do you want a company or do you just want to get something done?
A tax on folks who can’t do math? Winning may be worst possibility
AUDIO: We lose the love we need by letting imperfections scare us
Could we solve tough problems if we didn’t know they’re difficult?
Dirty little secret: Politicians have incentive to whip up your fears
Do you obey petty rules? Or do you fight The Man in hopes of change?