Oliver Sacks writes about the way finding out he had terminal cancer changed his perspective or more his priorities. The idea of what you would do when faced with a deadline for your life is an interesting concept. Many people's priorities change with a diagnosis such as this one. They spend more time with the people they love doing what they love. Its curious that you need a deadline to live the way you want to.
In the face of death he is continuing to live but he is no longer concerning himself with matters such as the economy or the environment. His explanation for this is detachment. These issues no longer belong to him but to the people of the future. This was one of my favorite lines from the article. The concept that he has taken his turn with these issues and now he is giving up his control to the future generations. This idea that at the end of our life we pass the world onto the next generation is important to me, as it is our generations duty to create the best possible world to pass on to our children. But it is also our duty to know when it is our time to pass the torch to the next generation.
Evan mentioned that this article reminded him of a speech he read that was given at the end of high school. The end of high school is a much less serious deadline than death itself, but a deadline none the less. As students near the end of high school, they evaluate their life and choices thus far in a similar manner. Where you the person you wanted to be? Are you proud of what you accomplished? What do you regret? Who will you miss? As I near the end of high school and look back over four years that are nothing I imagined when I started. I am grateful for the experiences I have had and the people I have spent time with. At the end of the day, I have memories that I can't imagine life without. For four years I experienced and learned and loved it all, crazy happiness and crushing disappointments combined. I hope that at the end of my life I can look at my life similarly to how I look at high school. Being able to say that I experienced it all (or as much as I could, I'm still upset I'll never experience a sports team) but also that now I'm ready to be done. I don't have many what ifs or things I was to afraid to try in high school and I hope that I don't at the end of my life either.
Earlier today I was reading an article, The Test of Time, by Brigid Schulte, a working mother, about the way in which we spend our time. In the world we live in today so many of us are doing 196475197485694 things at the same time that sometimes I'm not sure we even know what is important to us. She wrote of never feeling like she accomplished anything and having a seeming disgust for the way she spent her time. Today we look at our lives and try to cram as much as possible in the 24 hours we have a day. But of those tasks which are really important. Do those that fill us with joy even make the to do list? Sacks writes, "It is up to me now to choose how to live out the months that remain to me. I have to live in the richest, deepest, most productive way I can". This idea of living a fulfilling life doesn't always add up with the American view of time well spent. For her article Schulte tracked her time usage in journals at one point writing, "I was afraid they'd show that I don't work very hard, because I never feel I've accomplished enough". We live in a society that marks time well spent by accomplishments. Sacks too points out that in the last 15 years he wrote 5 books and autobiography along with having several more to almost finished. However he describes his work as something he loves. It seems that the real test is to discover a passion that can fill you time but also your heart. Make each day count and spend it doing what you love with the people you love. After all at the end of life you are left with your experiences.
Lilia,
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you equated the end of life to the end of high school. I think experiences of beginnings and endings on a much smaller scale prepare us for things like death. Maybe not in the same way, but with the idea that we should make the most of each experience and opportunity afforded to us. I really liked how you connected this article to another one that you read - this shows that this particular subject is something that people are really passionate about. I feel as though we push very hard to get this message across in our society today, more so than even a decade previous. Great insight and thanks for sharing.