Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Your Obituary
Review the Preface and pp. 6-13 of Barry and The Death of Ivan Illyich.
What is the meaning of life? What are you not realizing about life?
How might an examination of life inform your living? Answer this
question, in part, by thinking about your own obituary. What do you
need to do now in order to have that obituary? Feel free to reference Barry, Stevenson & Tolstoy in your response.
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I feel that a thorough examination of life can be of great benefit and make a better person of yourself because of it. For instance here is a small sample of what I would like my obituary to resemble:
ReplyDeleteMichael Babey ; 2086
Died in his sleep
Location: Home
A rough example but I would like for it to at least be similar.
To achieve this it is imperative that I strive to maintain the best possible health as a Type 1 Diabetic if I hope to achieve this goal. I need to maintain a positive outlook on life as well if I have hopes of achieving said goal/obituary.
For many of us the meaning in life is to accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves. However, the goals we usually set for ourselves are concerned with material things like getting a good job, or getting a pay raise, things that in the end are empty and meaningless. Because our goals tend to be concerned with the material we forget to nourish our relationships and we forget that we should live for others and not only for ourselves. A useful method of avoiding falling into this trap of prioritizing the unimportant over the things that are actually important is to consider how one wants to be remembered. Such an examination will help a person make decisions when they are at a crossroad in their life, and it will also influence how a person behaves and treats those around them. In short an evaluation of one’s end can be very constructive to one’s living.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the real meaning to life is how we represent ourselves in relation to others. Our lot is determined by how we did good in our communities, in our families. This is what the obituary should focus on, rather than material wealth in life; instead, the relationships we nurtured in life.
DeleteA fact of life is that we all will die. This maxim is something that most of us learn during our childhood by experiencing the death of our beloved pet or perhaps a grandparent or other relative. At this time of grief, we ask our parents the usual questions of why did this happen or are they going to heaven? We listen to the answers and each of us begins to formulate our own philosophy of death and how it will influence us for the rest of our lives. Personally, I was comfortable with my balance of life and death until at age twenty I had a medical emergency from which I almost lost my life. Because of some very skilled surgeons and many prayers from my family and friends, I was able to make a full recovery. Following this experience, I realized that another day is not promised to any of us. I now realize that each of us need to reflect on how we are living our lives and decide if it were to end tonight would we be satisfied with how our obituary would read. I truly believe that each of us needs to value our family and friends and live in such a way that others can see what is important in our lives. Once we are gone, everyone will have an opinion on the footprint that each of us leaves behind. I believe that I have been given a second opportunity to value the importance of life and hope that I am living my life in such a way that my obituary would include the following: She loved her family and was a loyal friend. She enjoyed each day and always did her best to help put a smile on the face of those around her. She will be missed. She may be gone, but she will never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI think the meaning of life is to simply live. Not like animals, who just go through the motions of survival, but to actually enjoy our lives, note beauty and our blessings, seeking knowledge as we wish. I don't think you really need to thoroughly examine your life to realize this--I think we realize these things daily, even if we don't consciously think about it---I kinda consider this a part of human nature. A good review will simply make those things that are important to us much more obvious. Like Brigid said, the only problem I see with not doing a life examination is that you might end up prioritizing the things that really are unimportant.
ReplyDeleteWriting an obituary is weird. I always imagine myself dying old, but I can't picture myself old yet. I'll be forever youthful in my mind :P She was loved by her husband and her friends as much as she loved them. She helped anyone who needed it, and strove to learn as much as she could. She'll be missed.
I would like my obituary to have a photo of me and to say the following:
ReplyDeleteRob Kues
Died falling out of a Redwood tree after climbing to the top in Seattle.
"Sometimes when you get to the top, all that's left to do is to let go."
"Only the good die young."
I think the meaning of life is simply to find fulfillment in what we do and enjoy the little things. No one can give a for sure answer because it can mean different things to different people. As long as you simply enjoy life and find a purpose to what you do, you can call that a meaning to life.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have an idea as to what the meaning of life nor do I know if I ever will. I am just here to live virtuosly and try to help as many people and other living things as I can.
ReplyDeleteI don't have an opinion as to what I want my obitary to be like either. I'm going to be gone so it really won't make any kind of difference to me. It would be nice if it made people smile though.
I do not have an idea what I want my obituary to say. I know many people would have it say "He could have been doing many great things for mankind, yet he always wasted his time." They tell me that already, so I can see that happening. I do, however, know the way I want to die, and I would want the obituary to say that I lived to be 107, saw three centuries and two millenniums, won the jackpot on the lottery, and then died from being struck by a meteorite. The odds of that happening would be so slim that I would die happy from such an unlikely death.
ReplyDeleteWhen I die, I want to be remembered as a successful entomologist (dream profession) and a great athlete (running). I also want to be remembered for having good character. I want to be a guy who lived a productive life not overtaken by material greed. I also want to be a guy who showed compassion towards people. I would like to die at an old age with a smile on my face to show I was not afraid.
ReplyDeleteThomas Beck
ReplyDeleteDied 5-23-2453
Drowned in his piles of money.
His funeral service will be held at the Great American Ball Park, during which his body will be set on fire and catapulted into the Ohio river. Fireworks will be set off, and a statue will be erected in his honour. Food and Drinks will be provided.