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05/03/2007: "Pondering Longevity"
Every time I take a solo trip, I get a little too reflective on my life. I start to understand that death is inevitable. It is part of every animal’s life, yet we usually don’t like to delve too deeply into our own demise. Reflecting on our past or planning for the future is a much more pleasant activity. Usually the past can be sugarcoated and the future looks great.
When you think about life, you figure we all come in with at least a good 75 to 80 years ahead of us. It would be nice to go longer as long as I am strong and healthy. But it is a bit of a card game. Have you ever played the game “War” with two people and a single deck of cards? You figure you should get dealt a couple of aces, kings, queens, etc. And the first time through the deck you learn what hand you have been dealt. Always a let down when it is short. So, the game goes on and you loose some of the prized cards and start to realize you may not be long for this game.
Europe seems appropriate for my trips as the history there makes even a good lifespan feel pretty insignificant. You can stumble into civilizations, art and structures that date back several thousand years. Of course, I try not to think about the amazing accomplishments of short life spans like Mozart, Van Gogh, and other masters who never made 40. I started to wonder if Europeans have a different perspective on longevity and personal history because of where they are. US advanced civilization only goes back a few hundred years (I want to sensitive to American Indians here). We are only talking about a few generations really.
Well, I have no answers. The deeper I ponder, the more questions I come up with.