I met my ailing grandfather today. Not much is left of him, i guess. And it was very painful for me to sit beside him, see him in a trance, maybe unable to distinguish the real world. He is very old. He is in pain and yes i guess that is old age. This is bad. To be around for so long is like a punishment, maybe punishment from the higher power. Why all this happens to such a good man? I mean, think it scientifically, he will be there for, i don't know how many days, but he will be in pain. Pain for the last of his days. What happens actually when we age? Our livers die? or do our brain deteriorates? As we age, our skin goes dull, our face distorts?? what does actually happens? We studied, right, mutation in drosophila, leads to its different size, different texture and colour. So is mutation in our cells one of the mysterious cause behind that? Might me. Or how?
Why can't we revive our cells as we grow? I also know that those who smoke, their skin dies away faster . This is ofcourse for the radicals of oxygen and carbon dioxide produced as we inhale in. But its better to die earlier than wait for 80 long years and we disgruntle our own system slowly.But i am not writing and debating about aging. I just saw my grandfather there, lying on his bed, he can't even open his eyes properly, and he speech is a blur. How that that happen? He was so healthy. I mean, its not actually right to live for such a long time..
The Viento
Why can't we revive our cells as we grow? I also know that those who smoke, their skin dies away faster . This is ofcourse for the radicals of oxygen and carbon dioxide produced as we inhale in. But its better to die earlier than wait for 80 long years and we disgruntle our own system slowly.But i am not writing and debating about aging. I just saw my grandfather there, lying on his bed, he can't even open his eyes properly, and he speech is a blur. How that that happen? He was so healthy. I mean, its not actually right to live for such a long time..
The Viento
yes. i agree. it would be far far better if it were short and sweet than long and painful. imagine, one day, we too will grow old. right now, we have the strength and courage to end our lives if we wish to. but at that age, when u become so old, when u watch ur body giving way, deceiving you, and when u see urself turning into a vegetable or becoming a burden on others, u discover that u have even lost the means or strength to end your own life. and then, bed-ridden we might curse ourselves for not having taken the decision to end it ourselves, when v could. but then, its very difficult to know when exactly the time is right for doing this. it can prove to be an insightful exercise to ask urself, that if u ever actually found urself standing at the fountain of youth, would you take the drink?
ReplyDeleteLife is meant to live only once..But I am standing infront of Elixir Of Life...What will it do? Just make me live for some more years. But that would mean again re-living my (maybe) tiresome life again. Another 40 years possibly. But had it been like rebirth,i would and wont hesitate a single second, because, there are some things we want to do right and live those moments in a better way, isn't it?? Think for yourself!!
ReplyDeleteThe Viento
i have a different view on that Viento. if someone were to offer me a rebirth, i''l surely and definitely reject. bcoz good fond memories which i wanna relive and wrong decisions taken which i wanna change are very few and far apart. i cant tolerate the rest of my dreary existence till now once again just for the sake of these few moments in life. whereas, if someone were to offer me an elixir that would extend my "healthy" lifespan then i would surely take it coz isn't there a list of things that we all have in our minds, of things that we always wanted to do but still haven't been able to?
ReplyDeleteBut all this said and done, there is one thing that i would prefer even above a rebirth or an extended lifespan. i wish i could have an arrangement with the old man in the sky under which i will be informed of my death, 1 week prior to it. i just want a week so that i can say goodbye to my friends and family, run a few last minute chores, make arrangements for my own funeral, and maybe contemplate on my life's worth. i would love it very much if my death doesnt come as a surprise to me.
Well said, but still, for the sake of reliving the moments in a better way, will be worth taking the risk. Those "moments" or you can call it those times changed my life and took me off my track....but as you said, being informed prior to our death is one great solution.....or rather a great escape from pain!!
ReplyDeleteReally guys?Do you think you could finish all your work in a week when you failed to do that for 80 good long years?And what exactly makes you think that you will escape the pain?Death wont be a surprise even if you are told,coz no one knows what it is like and you surely will be experiencing it for the first time.I would rather want to die untold than to live every single moment of my last week in fear and being consoled and pitied by everyone.
ReplyDelete-Natasha
hahaha. no u missed the point. the one week's notice is not so that u can complete all the leftover jobs, but realise that that u havent and most probably wont be able to ever complete them. plus, wont u wanna hug ur loved once goodbye one last time? and the whole point is that u shudnt spend the last of ur in fear. there shud be peace. imagine dat if u know u r gonna die, u'll stop running after material posessions in life. atleast, i know dat i wud take d week off from college or office or whatever. might aswell go n watch some good movies wid family n frndz.
ReplyDelete