Friday, March 20, 2009

Live in the sunshine

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air....
Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's become a thing for me now.  When a celebrity dies, I start to think about my own mortality - especially when that person is about my age.  I'm also reading the obituaries in my local paper looking for guys that are my age.  It's morbid and I hate myself for it - but I can't stop.  I'm young by all standards.  I have a long life ahead of me.  Many adventures, many joys.  And many heartaches.  I will live a long and glorious life.

Natasha Richardson probably thought the same thing.

We hear it all the time.  Life is short.  Gather thee rosebuds while ye may, etc.  But do any of us really do it?  Do we drink the wild air at every opportunity?  I don't.  I try to, but I don't.  I need to do that more.  To live life.  Because I too might be doing something so benign as skiing on a beginners slope and within two days I'm no more.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Ms. Richardson's family and friends.  May you again live in the sunshine some day.

2 comments:

Ron Earl Phillips said...

I know you posted this a while ago, but it's true. I don't think you're alone. I've always been a bit morbid towards death, but as I approached 40 every time I would hear of someone dying in their late 30s up to early 50s the mortality clock would ring. I keep thinking, I've got more than half a life yet to go. But tomorrow, you never know.

Mark Combes said...

Ron~

As Travis McGee would advise: Take your retirement a little bit at a time.

LIfe is short. Make sure you enjoy the time you have.