Living Before Dying
By: Tom Hanratty
Tags: Death And Dying, Philosophy, Life, Children, Education

Living Before Dying

A High School Primer on Life

photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

I was invited to give a talk to a high school class on Death and Dying because I was both a veteran who had seen a lot of death and a Forensic Investigator who had seen even more. After nearly an hour spent on the various ways humans shuffle off this mortality, I decided to leave the students with something positive they could take away.

“This represents your life,” I started, as I drew a straight horizontal line on the whiteboard. I paused for a moment to see if I had everyone’s attention. I did. “And this,” I said, putting a mark at the beginning of the line, “is when you were born. We’ll call it point ‘A’.”

At the other end of the line, I put another mark. “This is point B. It’s when you will die.”

“That’s all you have on this planet at this time. From birth to death, point A to point B.

“What happens to you before you are born and what happens after you’re dead is something a lot of people talk about, but no one is sure about. It’s the Great Unknown.

“And, let me remind you, this is not a dress rehearsal. This life, between A and B, is what you are given. What you make of it is up to you.

“It’s not your parent’s life, or your Grandma’s, or your teachers, or mine. Not your sister or brother or close friend. Yours. Let’s get that straight first thing. Yours.

“Some people say each of us in on our own path. What they don’t tell you is you will build your own path, brick by brick. And you will follow that path, step by step. What look like gaps are often leaps into the unknown, and you may end up flat on your face. Or soaring with the eagles. It depends on a lot of factors, including what most call dumb luck.

“The Universe is not against you, but at times it seems like it is. Really, it’s doing its best to help you learn the things you are here to learn.

“Think about the big things. You are the product of DNA that has evolved so you can contemplate your DNA. You are the product of a Universe that has evolved so you can contemplate the Universe. That’s amazing stuff. Your birthright.

“A whisper from the Infinite Intelligence will become a nudge if you ignore it. The nudge will become a slap if you insist on ignoring the lesson. You don’t want to go beyond the nudge. Trust me, it’s not pleasant.

“The odds of you being born at all have been calculated to be one in 400 Trillion. So your first gift from the Infinite Intelligence is your life. Make it mean something. As the writer Ray Bradbury said, ‘You are an impossibility in an impossible universe.’ As a born miracle, you have a responsibility to live a life of purpose.

Photo by George Pagan III on Unsplash

“You were born intelligent. That is the second gift from the Universe. Make it work for you and the whole planet. A happy life is important, but, for true happiness, your life must also be useful. Be bold. Live a life others write books about. Or write the books yourself.

“Your third gift is your health. It’s your responsibility to stay as healthy as possible until you’re dead. What you eat is important, because we only need to put three things into our mouths to sustain life — air, water, and food. Food is the one thing you can control — what kind and how much. If you put in anything else, such as cigarettes, liquor, or drugs, you will pay a price. And it may be a very high price.

“Also, exercise. Humans are made to move, not to sit. We can run down a horse if given enough time. The Comanche Indians did it, and you can too. Muscles need to be used to stay strong. You don’t know the future, so you don’t know if, one day, you’ll need strong muscles and legs. Keep them ready with exercise.

“Your fourth gift is your Spirit, strong and alive.

“Your Spirit will get you out of bed in the morning, and out to face the world with a smile.

“It’s what will keep you from descending into darkness when life becomes unbearable. And, as a human being, you will face events that will make you wonder why you bother being on this Earth.

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

“You’ll live a worthwhile life if you never lose these three senses: A sense of awe, a sense of curiosity, and a sense of humor.

“And finally, as Mark Twain said, ‘“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A person who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.’