‘Memento Mori’
(Remember that you will die)
How can I not remember that I will die one day? Death hangs around me like thin air on a mountain peak, slowly choking me through the lack of oxygen. It’s like a gun perpetually pointed at my head. A sharp knife, its gleaming blade ceaselessly teasing my skin.
They say that the fear of death keeps us from living not dying. I wonder what is it that they really mean. That if I am aware of death, the probability of my dying would be higher? Or perhaps they talk about fear. Perhaps the answer lies not in being aware of death but in the fear of death. It lies in the acceptance of this fear and in learning to deal with it. Being afraid is not going to stop the inevitable, is it? ‘Memento Mori’! Perhaps we need to realise that everyday is like a gift. Be thankful for life and its beauty. Be thankful for love. Enjoy every moment like it is the last. My father and I have had this discussion often in the past. ‘Accept death’ is what he always says. Somehow, I am not convinced.
What is the point really? Doesn’t it bother you not knowing why exactly are you living? To sustain mankind? I mean, if I am to die eventually, why should I bother to attend school, spend all my childhood learning stuff that will not make an iota of difference when I die, have a career, suffer through office politics, spend my entire life doing things that I really don’t enjoy doing.
You know, there is a lot we can learn from ants. It makes sense to designate everyone’s purpose in life. There should be some DNA tests done to measure what our capability is or what our character would be as adults when we are merely foetuses in our mother’s wombs. And from there we should be divided into groups.
• Scientists
• Politicians (leaders)
• Philosophers
• Doctors
• Soldiers
• Labourers
• Farmers
• Criminals (Those who show a high probability of becoming a criminal in future should be terminated immediately. This keeping in mind that legally the foetus is not yet a human-being and abortion is now readily accepted in our society.)
• Producers (The sole aim of the producer’s lives should be to procreate and have children.)
• Mothers & Fathers (They would be the one responsible to help the child grow up to be what they are designated to be.)
• And others (There could be further groups. This needs to be given more thought.)
And members of each group should have a fixed life-span. Each person will be given a time frame for life and death depending on their group and their responsibility in society. For example, soldiers are to die on their 40th birthday. Let everything be planned, calculated and documented.
At least then you would know when you are to die and you would know what you are living for till that day comes.
‘Memento Mori’