Your Own Mortality (1 Viewer)

[Saints1257]

When did you start thinking about your mortality? Did it start because of an event that happened in your life or an age you reached were things are still undone or just an age you reached? Me personally I think I started when I turned 40 and have blood pressure that needs to be managed through multiple medications. So many years left to make it just raise kids and be there for them until they can take care of themselves.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

When did you start thinking about your mortality?

Catholic school.. Had no choice, there was lots of talk of ‘hellfire and brimstone’ in the religion classes we were forced to take as part of the curriculum in grade school, true story .

 

[Madmarsha]

When I passed 50 while sitting on the beach with nothing to do but soak up rays and think, I was thinking about how I had outlived both of my grandmothers (one died at 39ish, one died at 49ish) and had the sudden realization that subconsciously I had always thought I'd die young (even though Mom made it to her mid 80s) so THAT'S when I started to take more seriously my mortality and start to eat better, exercise more, and start a skin care routine if I wasn't going to die before I was 50.

 

[CapitalCitySaint]

10 years old when my brother who was 12 died not long after my aunt on my dad’s side died and my mom’s sister had killed herself.

I used to lie awake at night wondering when I would die. Not realizing it then but do now, I was having panic attacks at 10 years old.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Even being plenty old
And even with my father passing this year, I’m still not sure I have a proper sense of mortality— it’s kind of like I’m in a boat drifting with the current only vaguely aware that the water will run into land eventually

 

[SystemShock]

9-10 years old. Contracted hepatitis and almost died of it.

 

[DCSaints_Fan]

I think maybe about 13-14, when I started watching those war movies like Platoon, Glory and some about WW2, and thinking about those young guys that died who were maybe 18-19 at the time, and that was just a few short years away for me.

Also there was a kid in a school my Mom taught at who died in a car accident, and especially when I got my drivers license, realizing it could happen at any time and there may not be anything I can do to stop it.

There was also another incident when I was ~16. I got really sick all of a sudden, felt really not and I went outside and laid on the grass to cool off (it was night) and just kinda looked up at the stars, thought my time was up and had this sense of peace come over me. It wasn't really a religious feeling although I was religious at the time.

 

[DCSaints_Fan]

10 years old when my brother who was 12 died not long after my aunt on my dad’s side died and my mom’s sister had killed herself.

I used to lie awake at night wondering when I would die. Not realizing it then but do now, I was having panic attacks at 10 years old.

Unfortunately as of late I have had frequent suicidal thoughts. But I have a nephew who is 7 whom I'm pretty close with and this post helps dissuade me, it might damage him for life were I to do something like that.

 

[Snakehead]

Unfortunately as of late I have had frequent suicidal thoughts. But I have a nephew who is 7 whom I'm pretty close with and this post helps dissuade me, it might damage him for life were I to do something like that.

The world is a better place with you in it.

 

[saintmdterps]

At age 10 when a babysitter of ours was shot and killed by her father. Colleen's father was aiming at her brother, Colleen tried to protect him and was killed.

Again at age 16 when my best friend was killed in a car accident.

We're not heare forever. Enjoy your time. Tell those around you you love them, and allow yourselves to be loved.

Peace and Blessings to all of you, and I mean that most sincerely.

 

[Rickboy]

To this day, I hold a false belief (or fantasy if you will) that I’ll live forever. I really don’t think about my death at all, but it was my Mom’s failing health that at least got me to be serious about how I’m living.

She’s only 74 and looks like she could pass at any time. She treated her body poorly with drugs and no real sense of a diet. She’s diabetic, has heart issues, no teeth, etc., etc., She came to visit me, in Colorado, in 2018. Looking at her on the couch she seemed to be waiting for death but too afraid to die. Any encouragement to get her on a healthy path has been met with denial and scorn. But I’m very thankful for that experience. It was the triggering moment for me.

Before that day, I was already on a somewhat decent path. After years of drinking liters of soda on a daily basis, I had managed to cut back to one or two 20oz sodas per week. I had actually gone cold turkey for a whole year. I was actually drinking straight water for the first time in my life. After that experience in Dec 2018, I never drank another soda again. To this day I mostly drink water and black coffee. Occasionally I’ll have a beer or a Mocha.

Before that day I exercised a little but I was still 220lbs, had high cholesterol and blood pressure. I started taking fitness seriously. I got a Peloton Tread and started actually using it. It took months before I could actually start running because I had to do some core and lower body weight training to get my knees to the point I could run. The 2020 lockdowns were a bit of a blessing in that it got me to start seriously doing some weight training. Dumbbells three times a day.

I’m by no means jacked (that wasn’t my goal) but I dropped 40lbs and damn I looked good. .

Last year I fell off the wagon a bit, but not totally. This was partly due to tendonitis in my ankles. I got up to 200lbs but seeing that weight on the scale woke me up and I got back work. I’m back to lifting three days a week and hitting the bike twice a week for cardio. Now back to 196 but this time I’m planning to build a bit more muscle.

I have a Grandmother that will hit 97 in June. She still lives on her own (though my Dad lives in the next town over) takes care of herself and will even drive her car within town limits. She’s pretty awesome. That’s the kind of ‘older’ life I want to lead. She’s never let herself get ‘old’. She’s still quite young from a mental standpoint. I was LMAO last month when she told me she was sooooo tired on Christmas Eve. It was because she had been partying almost every other night for the last week. Not a bad life, I’ll aim for that.

 

[Ken-Bob]

In my 20s I was in two auto accidents where I almost died. Trauma will change you. After the second one, I really started living life to its fullest as if every day would be my last. Not reckless, but taking the joy from living every opportunity.

 

[SWJJ]

increasingly often these days. I also suffered from some traumatic events as a young person that put my mortality at the forefront of my thoughts too young, but as I grew into adulthood and left religion behind I became at peace. Then when I had children and I am trying to provide for them I have become increasingly aware of my mortality. Now I just can't believe how old I am and how there is still so much I want to accomplish but am running out of time.

Semi-related hook me up to neurolink and transfer my conscience to the internet day one

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Catholic school.. Had no choice, there was lots of talk of ‘hellfire and brimstone’ in the religion classes we were forced to take as part of the curriculum in grade school, true story .

Sorry to quote myself, but i just wanted to apologize to everyone since i was tired last night when i posted this, and i think i conflated the terms ”hellfire and damnation” with “fire and brimstone” to come up with “hellfire and brimstone.”


But going back to Catholic school, they didnt like me very much in there since ive always been a ‘questioner’.. Example, around the time i was in grade school, catholic dogma was changed in that it had always been believed that if a baby suddenly, tragically dies between the time it’s born and the time it’s baptized- it would be sentenced to purgatory…. An innocent little baby.. it’s apparently becuase we are all born guilty of sin, you see … anyway, at some point , the powers-that-be in the Vatican decided that instead of being sentenced to purgatory, these babies would instead take a detour to somehting called “Limbo”.. that’s a true story, or at least the way it was explained to me in the 1980s.. ’How low can you go’, indeed .. So yours truly, being the inquisitive 9 yr old i was, started asking questions about how people can just change rules like that.. and did the directive come straight from the Big Guy upstairs, or does that work exactly ??

Most religions dont like it when their followers ask questions, i wonder why.

 

[Eeyore]

When I was five my sister died but she had lived in the hospital so it didn't register with me. A few months later my grandmother died of a heart problem at 51. I remember running through the house looking for her. Once again, it just didn't hit.

When I was seven, a classmate died of cancer. I remember realizing that it could happen to anyone. Despite losing my sister, it hadn't occurred to me that kids could die

At 51 I started having heart problems. I thought about my grandmother. Suddenly, 51 wasn't so old. Now I have leg problems. Next week I'm going to have some procedures done to help with that. If that doesn't work, I'll seek another option, but I can't live like this. My Mom lost the use of her legs, and was disabled in her 50's. The thought doesn't leave my mind. She caught the flu. Refused to go to the doctor. Laid down for a nap and didn't wake up. I know what she did. She had talked about it. Now, I understand it.

Dying isn't my fear. It's how I die that scares me. I had a coworker die from COVID lung damage. He hung on for six months and never left the hospital. No thanks. My other grandmother had dementia and was in a home for a long time. That was horrible.

There's a lot of things that are worse than death.