The middle of your perceived life

per·ceive
/pərˈsēv/
verb
past tense: perceived; past participle: perceived

2.
interpret or look on (someone or something) in a particular way; regard as.
"if Guy does not perceive himself as disabled, nobody else should"
synonyms: look on, view, regard, consider, think of, judge, deem, appraise, assess, adjudge, figure (out), size up, value, rate, suppose, think, sum up, weigh up
"he was perceived as too negative"

I just didn't want to title it mid life crisis because crisis is a scary word and we're trying to be cool and talk this out, not freak out right? Ok.

So, I was reading a random news article about The Cars frontman. No reason really, I briefly browse CNN and Fox back to back to check up on the news and maybe read an article or to about something random. Keep my bearings you know, I see left/right MSM and liberal/conservative politics pretty similarly as both tied to agendas no matter what or else they lose/damage their careers and legacy or history. That's not the motivating factor for why they do what they do but it's the fear factor when conforming to their party with certain issues, voting, or when they write and speak publicly.

Anyways, CNN has doom porn and Fox has reality TV and strange but true so it's a win/win. The musician passed away at the age of 75 which without checking sounds close to the average expectancy for males in the USA. I turn 37 on Wednesday and multiplied it by 2. Therefore, I'm at roughly the middle point area of my lifespan if I live to the average expectency (Which isn't exactly common, just an average, as many pass away early and some dont for 10 to 20 years after). It's one of, if not the most depressing thought I've ever had but I handle it well, it just puts a damper on everything when my mind wanders into the thought as it does at least once per day until I distract into forgetting about it).

There's no way to sugar coat it. My mind went to ways of comforting it. I realized how having children completely fixes it for many people, and for others it's doing great works, being in an important career; what you do on Earth. I also saw how it's the primary motivating factor and probably one of, if not the main reason, for the origins of religion and spirituality; the belief of being a spirit within your body, not simply a highly evolved, really intelligent animal that's born and dies without afterlife or reincarnation like billions before and after. Heaven is the perfect idea to steer humanity into rapid evolution (There were only approximately 14 million humans in 3000 B.C. and there were an estimated 7.5 billion in 2017 A.D.) by making your social behavior and deeds the main factor which determines eternal paradise or eternal torture.

It was the perfect idea to define primal, immoral and unethical human behavior, thoughts and actions as evil, that which damns and demonizes you. Such behavior is completely incompatible and toxic to humans living together socially as our numbers grow at a seemingly exponential rate. All of the nasty things people go to prison for most of or their entire lives (or get executed for) people got away with for several thousand years if you go back far enough and assume common sense.

If you don't have children, don't want them or think you'll have any (let's at least say biologically), and aren't doing a cutting edge or profound work for the records but something more humble, what's the best way to approach this? If you've believed in God and also have been skeptical, if you don't think any religion on Earth has it exactly right, if you believe humans might simply be nothing more than super evolved monkeys, what can give you a sense of peace with this? Rest in the fact that everyone else dies too? That works as a bandaid, but then you'll eventually think about how they did so in an ignorant bliss (according to you), believing without a shadow of doubt that they were about to be in a better, greater reality or reincarnate into something that reincarnates into something over and over, a beautiful never ending existence.

Yeah but.. at least I'm not going to die as a fool and know the truth. Oh God it's happening! God isn't real, oh God! *dies in insecurity, extreme fear, panic and terror, ceases to exist*

Hey, it's the last moment you'll ever experience for infinity (probably, or lets assume). It would have to be called the worst moment in time scientifically and yet for many people supposedly believing tales and lies, they make it the best moment. Suppose for discussion they are wrong and that there's nothing awaiting them. They'll truly never know or find out, so that final absolute belief if it's true to them (yet being false in reality) is it. The greatest bluff of the mind ever conceivable for the worst moment in existence.

Oh Wow, Oh Wow www.youtube.com...

Well, I'm a bit older than you, so I guess, over the hump as they say.

I'm certainly not scared of dying.
I don't believe the bible. But I certainly believe I have a soul, that will continue after my body is done.

I AM afraid of a painful death. That would suck.

I joking (half) say, I want to come back rich, beautiful and sterile in my next life. But as long as don't come back as a serial killer, I'll probably be alright.

a reply to: FlyingSquirrel

Someone once said something like "The problem is not the problem. The problem is your reaction to the problem."

What if "perception of" instead of "reaction to"?

a reply to: FlyingSquirrel

I always like what B. Franklin had to say about it, life is but the embryo of death.
Myself I do not fear death since the earth is not my home as Larry Norman once said.

a reply to: FlyingSquirrel

If you live in fear of the future then you are not living in the present.

If you are not living in the present then you're not living.

What happens after doesn't matter.

Today does.

a reply to: FlyingSquirrel

I don't know dude, these days I tend to think its best to just crack a beer and try not to think about it to much... it is what it is.

I'm 70. Children's fears of death are amusing.

originally posted by: FlyingSquirrel
Hey, it's the last moment you'll ever experience for infinity (probably, or lets assume). It would have to be called the worst moment in time.

Reminds me of the proverb that says: "A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death is better than the day of birth."

Is it really the worst moment in time? Why did the ancient proverb say the day of death is better than the day of birth?

a reply to: FlyingSquirrel

Live life well enough to be remembered.

There an immortality to that.

I stopped worrying about death after my 6th heart attack

I chose to "live the dream"..... it's not as hard as you might think.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: FlyingSquirrel

Live life well enough to be remembered.

There an immortality to that.

Just live well, who's going to remember any of us regular Joes & Joesphines in a few hundred+ years anyway? Maybe some descendant tracing their family tree, but it's really more of a fleeting acknowledgement on that research path (BTDT with my own genealogical research, they're footnotes on the tree once you go beyond Great-Great grandparent branches)

I just turned 35 this month myself, and am about middle aged if you consider all the relatives in my family that kicked it in their 70's via various digestive cancers (honestly, anything between the mouth and hind end could be my last hurrah fight)

On the other hand, some relatives have lived into their late 90's, so it's a coin toss for me. We don't come with a pre-stamped expiration date, so enjoy it while you can. Anyone can be hit by a car tomorrow, or die in their sleep tonight. You don't have to be old to die.

a reply to: Nyiah

Death is just God's way of saying you need a nice nap. Forever.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Nyiah

Death is just God's way of saying you need a nice nap. Forever.

It's a well-earned rest reward for putting up with decades of Hell Week every waking moment, as a friend's SEAL uncle said once. He was being tongue-in-cheek, but there's wisdom to it.

a reply to: Nyiah

I think it was Woody Allen that said, "I'm not afraid of death or dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Nyiah

Death is just God's way of saying you need a nice nap. Forever.

It is a nice nap. But when you wake up. That will be even nicer...

a reply to: EdgeofParadise

If that's the case, I'll be good with that as long as my wife is there (because I can't really do anything without her) and that there's a nice bar with good single malts and top shelf bourbon.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: EdgeofParadise

If that's the case, I'll be good with that as long as my wife is there (because I can't really do anything without her) and that there's a nice bar with good single malts and top shelf bourbon.

Sounds nice. To go along with the sentiment the music video: Just Around the Corner...the couple are still together but they grow younger and get to see their daughter who died brought back to life:

Just Around the Corner

I cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes, scrubbed out crusty pots, started cooking dinner etc. I'm off and I work 5 nights a week at a restaurant for a year plus now, something about having a passion for that stuff. Went to school for database admin, didn't finish and bowed out with computer technician school, stopped doing that beyond a hobby and then.. cooking and running the kitchen of a restaurant. I'm technically a regular employee but really I'm the back of the house. It gave me peace.

Then I sat down and wrote this and thought about feeling better because of that and said to myself,

"Knowing that you fed a bunch of people really good food isn't exactly going to help for a life accomplishments moment on your deathbed."

Assuming the privilidge (Or burden? This is quite a can of worms) of having a deathbed instead of going in an instant or in a short time while in a coma or unconcious etc even happens.

Oy vey