My first taste of death being something that is natural and not to be feared came when I was 13. I used to mow the lawn for an elderly couple across the street, and every time when I went in to get paid, I would sit and chat with them for an hour or so. They were both in rough shape(neither could see or hear very well), and they never got any visits from their family. So, I made it a point to visit, because I could tell they enjoyed it.
Anyways, whenever I came in and asked the old man how he was doing, he would inevitably and without fail say, "I'm just waiting to die." It was the kind of stark honesty a young teenager isn't used to, but after I listened to him explain how he felt at the age of 85, I realized that death could sometimes not be so bad and that the cessation of suffering can be preferable.
Of course, my severe depression and my suicide attempt have cured me of any fear of death. Sometimes I even find myself yearning for it...
Anyways, whenever I came in and asked the old man how he was doing, he would inevitably and without fail say, "I'm just waiting to die." It was the kind of stark honesty a young teenager isn't used to, but after I listened to him explain how he felt at the age of 85, I realized that death could sometimes not be so bad and that the cessation of suffering can be preferable.
Of course, my severe depression and my suicide attempt have cured me of any fear of death. Sometimes I even find myself yearning for it...
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
