Life is not as short as you think!

I often see the adage that “Life is short” posted in various venues. It is as if the perception that death is speeding towards us at some incredible pace. Thus, we need to live life frantically to get as many experiences that we can jam into such a short period of time. I wholeheartedly disagree, there is something to be said for taking your time, we have this compulsion to always be doing something noteworthy, I suspect technology has driven that desire as now we can report to the masses that we are relevant by our actions. We feel the need to compete to see whom can have more pleasurable, entertaining, amusing or enjoyable ‘adventures’. Life is not a race to the finish, it is a beautiful stroll and journey that you and you alone have chosen, down a path that is filled with remarkable people and places, there is really no planning necessary, just movement of any kind will lead you on your way. Sometimes the art of sitting still is your best choice, calmness is a virtue few of us possess, and because of the electronically connected nature of our existence we are constantly bombarded with the need to report our activities and whereabouts. Learn to sit still and I promise, this ‘life is too short’ mentality will melt away and allow you to see how important just being alive is without the fear of its end.

A Life Less Lived

Why do we waste so much time pursuing what we don’t have? A bigger paycheck, job promotion, flashier car, ginormous UHD 3D 4K TV, and so on. We have become a gaggle of idiot savants; years spent in college, with umpteen degrees, and yet still infants in our own lives. The pursuit of happiness cannot be achieved like some beer commercials lead us to believe. We worship the television and its distorted perception of life and rely on it like some sort of retarded muse, providing us with inspiration and direction. Wondering why our lives are not filled with bikini-clad hotties and muscle-bound beefcake. Inflating our limp dicks with drugs, walking around with chemical hard-ons and nowhere to stick them. We quickly tire of our perceived mundane lives, dreaming of fiction and far-away places, unhappy in our solitude, despising the crowds. Angst has become our verb and worries of what might be our swan song. Gazing out at the oblivion, fearful of casting that first stone into the abyss, not wanting to hear the deafening silence defining its depths. Caffeine has replaced action, as we sleepwalk, wide-eyed into a life that has become less lived. Perception is our own reality and prison. We believe more in what we hear than what we do. Our eyes have been relegated to nothing more than oracles for verifying the deceit, yet we can’t look away, like some unwanted addiction. We often move through life silently, like sunlight’s infusion into a dense forest, sometimes illuminating, but touching nothing, our satisfaction comes from our anonymity.

Be fearful of the life less lived, it is an action that can easily become a habit. It is never too late to become what you might have been.

The Start of a New Life

On the 11th month of my 50th year, I find myself in the emergency room at Providence Hospital, Hood River Oregon. I am surrounded by an ER doctor and his medical staff. Swarming around me like worker bees defending their hive. I am in trouble, my heart rate is 220 bpm. 


The Doctor begins barking orders. I can see the concerned look on their faces as they race around assembling the tools necessary to slow my heart and hopefully save my life. I can feel my heartbeat everywhere, even in my toes. 


Their first attempts are unsuccessful. Heart rate still 220 bpm. Although they try and hide it I can sense their growing concern that I am in deep trouble. They start an IV with expert precision and draw blood from the port. A lab technician scampers off with the viles of blood. One nurse holds my hand and looks me in the eyes and tells me it will be alright. 


Nothing seems to be working, the Doctor requests Adenosine, the staff jump into action. I begin to realize how threatening my situation is when they roll over the 'crash cart' usually reserved for people in full cardiac arrest. 


The nurse draws up a syringe of Adenosine, as the Doctor explains to me the serious nature of this 'cardiac episode' is what he called it. Adenosine is used to physically stop the heart and 'reset it' so that it beats normally again. 


At this point my will to live is overriding the fear associated with the phrase 'stopping your heart'. Amazing how much trust you will put into a perfect stranger when faced with a dire situation. The staff steps into action inserting the needle in to the IV port, one nurse pulls out the paddles from the crash cart. I can hear the ECG machine beeping my heart rate, the Doctor injects the Adenosine quickly and then immediately raises my arm. All eyes are on me as the nurse with the paddles readies herself for action if the situation warrants. 

I hear the ECG machine making its recognizable blip, blip, blip...my mind wanders to Monty Python sketch where John Clease as a surgeon says; bring me the machine that goes ping! Strange how the brain works in a crisis at least the male brain. Suddenly the machine flat lines, I feel the blood start to leave my face as the Doctor starts to rub his knuckles hard against my sternum and says the famous movie line; stay with me buddy come on stay with me! I start to blackout...then I hear in the distance, blip, blip, blip, focus returns to my eyes and everyone is smiling at me. The nurse states that my pulse is returning to a normal sinus rhythm, still a little tachy at 110 but much improved from 220.

I wish I could tell you that my life passed before my eyes or that I had come to some epiphany about my journey ahead, but quite frankly the only realization I came to was how did I fuck up my body so badly in just 50 years? 

We often blame our bodies for betraying us as we get older but it is our life choices that have betrayed our bodies instead. The human body has a natural state called homeostasis and if we listen to our bodies maintaining our health is quite easy.  But our minds are polluted with falsehoods concerning what is good for us and what isn't. These falsehoods are based upon greed and slick advertising, and have very little foundation in fact. Seek truths everywhere when it comes to your health but be leery of allopathic medicine as it is in close partnership with big business (e.g. pharmaceutical companies). 

You'd be amazed at how little fuel the human machine needs to function properly, and with the proper diet and movement most maladies resolve themselves or can be avoided all together. If you are interested in a study that shows what a controlled diet can do for the human condition seek out information on Gerson Therapy, Max Gerson was a pioneer in nutrition. 

There is also an excellent video online; www.foodmatters.tv that sheds light on the falsehoods I mentioned earlier. Keep in mind that all media has an ulterior motive and an element of propaganda embedded in it so do your research to confirm the ideas expressed. 

So much for my soap box, I'll be blogging again soon.