I got stung by a bee for the first time in my life about 6 minutes ago. On this, the 23rd year, 8th month, and 9th day of my life, I have finally been stung by a bee. I heard that if you wait this long to have your first encounter with one of these striped bastards that you could actually go into some type of shock from the venom, and at worst case scnario, in the event of allergy, you could even die. How tragic. So in theory, this could be the last thing I ever write? What if it was the last thing I ever wrote....? How would the content of my blog change?
OK, so let's assume that I am allergic to bee stings, and that this will be the last time my mind is able to communicate with the electric pool of knowledge available on the internet. What would my final words be? Do I send a shoutout to mom and dad? My sister and sweet baby jesus? Do I congratulate all my friends for resisting the temptation of being total pricks to me and actually valuing the relationship we've formed over recent years that have allowed us to experience some of the best times of our lives? Or do I write this post like any other post... just dwelling on the insignificant. What should separate this, my final post, from any of my previous ones?
In short, nothing.
I want to avoid using cliches, but sometimes they just work so well. Let me think up some creative way to tell you that you need to live your life as if each moment is your last. Hmmm... okay... so pretend there is a box of donuts. You really want a donut but you want to be conscious of your health and you've come to accept that by consuming a donut you are actually doing damage to your body since there's pretty much nothing nutritious about a donut. So if you are living this day as if it's your last, what do you do?
a) Eat the donut.
b) Ignore the donut and carry on with your day.
c) Eat half the donut.
d) Share the donut with three friends, thus allowing yourself to indulge in 1/4 worth of the temptation, while staying health-conscious.
What do you choose?
It doesn't matter what you choose. The point is that you choose, and that you choose based on a life plan that will work for you today, tomorrow, and 100 years from now. If your life ends tomorrow, so be it, but never have regrets. In other words, if you have decided to live every day of your life according to a healthy lifestyle, then that donut should not tempt you so much as to even think twice about this question. However, if you know that by refusing yourself that donut, that you will suffer as a result, you better eat that donut. But, you say, how will I ever lose weight if I keep giving in to temptation? Well, I say, if you are serious about weight loss you will research a way that works for you, that will allow you to consume that donut while staying healthy. Try the gym, as a hypothesis.
What is important is that we do not fear the inevitable and that we are active in affecting what is 'evitable' in a positive fashion. So here I am, with a theoretical ticking time-bomb of a venom pouch lodged into my arm, typing about living your day as if it is your last. Should I have any regrets if there were no tomorrow about spending 20 minutes writing to you here? If I did, then maybe I should never write in my blog at all... because that would be a perpetual waste of life. I should go out and seek to do activities that give me personal satisfaction at all times. And sometimes, as is the case when we work or do something we do not necessarily want to do, we must realize that we have obligations as citizens, friends, and family members, and that sometimes we must sacrifice some of our time in order to achieve the hedonistic pleasures that encourage us to go on. In any case, we should live our lives without regret and without second thoughts.
For the record, I love to write, and would do this on my deathbed until the final second of my life...
Oh, and also, I have determined that the bee that stung me was some sort of novice. He did a very half-assed job while stinging me... he left behind no stinger and there was a pool of yellow liquid on top of my skin after I felt that little prick (pun intended), meaning the venom probably didn't get into my skin. Looks like I might live to blog again...
OK, so let's assume that I am allergic to bee stings, and that this will be the last time my mind is able to communicate with the electric pool of knowledge available on the internet. What would my final words be? Do I send a shoutout to mom and dad? My sister and sweet baby jesus? Do I congratulate all my friends for resisting the temptation of being total pricks to me and actually valuing the relationship we've formed over recent years that have allowed us to experience some of the best times of our lives? Or do I write this post like any other post... just dwelling on the insignificant. What should separate this, my final post, from any of my previous ones?
In short, nothing.
I want to avoid using cliches, but sometimes they just work so well. Let me think up some creative way to tell you that you need to live your life as if each moment is your last. Hmmm... okay... so pretend there is a box of donuts. You really want a donut but you want to be conscious of your health and you've come to accept that by consuming a donut you are actually doing damage to your body since there's pretty much nothing nutritious about a donut. So if you are living this day as if it's your last, what do you do?
a) Eat the donut.
b) Ignore the donut and carry on with your day.
c) Eat half the donut.
d) Share the donut with three friends, thus allowing yourself to indulge in 1/4 worth of the temptation, while staying health-conscious.
What do you choose?
It doesn't matter what you choose. The point is that you choose, and that you choose based on a life plan that will work for you today, tomorrow, and 100 years from now. If your life ends tomorrow, so be it, but never have regrets. In other words, if you have decided to live every day of your life according to a healthy lifestyle, then that donut should not tempt you so much as to even think twice about this question. However, if you know that by refusing yourself that donut, that you will suffer as a result, you better eat that donut. But, you say, how will I ever lose weight if I keep giving in to temptation? Well, I say, if you are serious about weight loss you will research a way that works for you, that will allow you to consume that donut while staying healthy. Try the gym, as a hypothesis.
What is important is that we do not fear the inevitable and that we are active in affecting what is 'evitable' in a positive fashion. So here I am, with a theoretical ticking time-bomb of a venom pouch lodged into my arm, typing about living your day as if it is your last. Should I have any regrets if there were no tomorrow about spending 20 minutes writing to you here? If I did, then maybe I should never write in my blog at all... because that would be a perpetual waste of life. I should go out and seek to do activities that give me personal satisfaction at all times. And sometimes, as is the case when we work or do something we do not necessarily want to do, we must realize that we have obligations as citizens, friends, and family members, and that sometimes we must sacrifice some of our time in order to achieve the hedonistic pleasures that encourage us to go on. In any case, we should live our lives without regret and without second thoughts.
For the record, I love to write, and would do this on my deathbed until the final second of my life...
Oh, and also, I have determined that the bee that stung me was some sort of novice. He did a very half-assed job while stinging me... he left behind no stinger and there was a pool of yellow liquid on top of my skin after I felt that little prick (pun intended), meaning the venom probably didn't get into my skin. Looks like I might live to blog again...
Let Edith Piaf take it away from here, she's got the right idea (Song title translates to: "No I don't regret a thing"). And those of you who have seen Inception might get the wake up call from this too, so there can be no wrong in pressing play ;)
July 27, 2010 at 6:31 AM
First: you're hilarious.
Second: I'm glad that bee is the worst at his job and you aren't dying from his venom.
Third: Sometimes you just need a good cliche to remind you that you should always live life to it's fullest. And sometimes TI and Rhianna will start singing "Live Your Life" via your ipod while you are running. Yep, that happened to me today. That reminder never gets old for me.
Fourth: I think I need to see Inception.