A note for those of you who want to live in my Empire:

[camwyn]

Death?

Death is not optional.

One day, you will die. That's how it works. You're born- you will, eventually die.

It doesn't matter what you eat. It doesn't matter what you drink. It doesn't matter what drugs you take, what shots you get, what the doctors do or don't do, what exercise you get or don't get, what God you pray to, what city you lived in or what dental hygiene program you pursued. You are mortal. One day, you will die.

I have seen it somewhere that one of the problems with Americans is that we as a culture believe that death is somehow optional. If someone dies at an age below, oh, I don't know, eighty, we act shocked and horrified. "But he did everything right!" "But she took such good care of herself!" News flash, kiddies: taking care of yourself is no guarantee against anything. It'll improve your time while you're alive, yeah; you'll probably feel better and enjoy yourself for longer. But no matter how much 'doing everything right' you pursue while you're alive, you have to understand that it is not going to put off the inevitable. The day will come, and you, too, will die.

You cannot beat the Reaper. No amount of begging or pleading with Divine Providence is going to keep you on this Earth forever. No bargain, no exercise, no diet, nothing will exempt you from the fact that your body is made of matter and that someday that matter will stop working. The same goes for the people you love: you're mortal, and so are they, and you cannot plead them back to life no matter how hard you try. This is not The Sims. Mourn, yes, you're entitled- or rejoice, if you think it appropriate. But you cannot raise the dead, and you probably shouldn't even try, once they're really, truly, genuinely in-the-ground kind of dead. Nothing you do after the fact will bring back your loved one.

Every religion in my Empire is going to have the commandment 'Don't Be A Jerk' patched into its list of rules as the very first of all rules, but I think it will not hurt much to patch the other statement into the curricula of Imperial schools as well:

Death is not optional. You cannot avoid it. You cannot even necessarily delay it. One day, you will die. Don't take it personally. It happens to everyone. Even the ones who do everything right.


Thank you.

Comments

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

THERE IS NO JUSTICE. THERE IS JUST ME.
- Death

I think you're right. Our society seems to think death is something we can get around, like a tax loop.

Originally by Bob Dylan, covered by Nick Cave and everyone else who contributed to Murder Ballads.

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

Death Is Not The End

When you're sad and when you're lonely and you haven't got a friend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all that you've held sacred, falls down and does not mend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end

When you're standing at the crossroads that you cannot comprehend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all your dreams have vanished and you don't know what's up the bend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end

When the storm clouds gather 'round you, and heavy rains descend
Just remember that death is not the end
And there's no one there to comfort you, with a helpin' hand to lend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end

Oh, the tree of life is growing
Where the spirit never dies
And the bright light of salvation shines
In dark and empty skies

When the cities are on fire with the burning flesh of men
Just remember that death is not the end
And you search in vain to find just one law abiding citizen
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end

[terrie01.livejournal.com]

I've never understood people who want to avoid death at all costs. Okay, maybe if I could hang around with Methos for the next thousand years, I'd live forever. But, reall, yafter a while it would get boring.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm....Methos...

Just sayin'

Hmm...

[argonautilus.livejournal.com]

I think its one of those things. You know if you don't believe there is anything after death, then it wouldp probably be cool to live longer as long as you don't suffer.

Re: Hmm...

[terrie01.livejournal.com]

SO why is it the fundies who are most afraid of letting people die? I mean, they think GOOD things happen when you die!

Re: Hmm...

[argonautilus.livejournal.com]

Well, they don't really believe its our place to choose when people should or shouldn' pass on. And I have some sympathy with that view in a way. However, you are making the assumption that fundies think good things happen to people after death. Not true. Good things happen for a very select few. The rest of us spend the rest of time in horrible agony. And no one is really sure what the standards are and oftentimes they seem to be unreachable. If I believed in that, I would certainly be uncomfortable.

[maxineofarc.livejournal.com]

I have every intention of dying, and I think people should be nice to each other. Can I have a cabinet position?

[eor.livejournal.com]

Definite Truth, big T and all.

But failure to do some of those things you mentioned will most likely cause Death to have to squeeze you in between other appointments, say next Tuesday, and leave him a bit of spare time 40 years from Thursday.

Seen that up close a bit too much lately.

[sakon76.livejournal.com]

I work for a cremation society and, yeah, everyone dies sooner or later. And people can react well toward it, or badly, but really? Death is not a curse word. It's the inevitable end of the chain chemical processes that we call life.

I, for One, Welcome Our New Red-Coated Masters...

[lwood.livejournal.com]

*raises her hand*

We've already got "Death Is Not Optional," enshrined in reasonable alliterative verse, repeated for emphasis and with the reminder that reputation does survive tacked on the end. That help?

-- Lorrie

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

Heh, I consider death as rest; not in any metaphorical or metaphysical way, but just rest from what we call life.
However, it doesn't stop me from knowing I'll see the next Millenium :D