Saturday, May 17, 2008

The Way the World Moves On

Why do people have to die?; The answer to this has biological implications, but beyond nature's policy of striking a population balance, we humans, with our sixth sense, have an emotional bond with people and cannot, simply stating, accept the passing of a person we know, or in some cases, never come to know at all. How can it be that a living, breathing person suddenly turns into nothing but a cold, lifeless mass of flesh and bones? The transition between life and death takes just a second, and this harshness of reality sends a chill down my spine; What guarantee does one have in this world?

When you hear a person has passed away, human nature kicks in; At this point it really doesn't matter whether you hated or loved that person, the news, for sure comes as a shock, and all your memories of experiences with that person rush through your mind. The first reaction for you (and me) would be to try and deny the fact by asking if it's a joke, then it hits you, makes you gasp-an unseen force whacking you from the inside, right in your midriff, underneath your ribs. Then you feel confused, delirious, with no real clue about what to do next, how to react...

All the thoughts of the potential future you had with that person come to your mind, making him or her your friend, getting to know that person better, and you realise you can never again tell them anything at all, nothing. Ever...

Then you start crying.

I wouldn't say tears are bad, because not all tears are shed in vain... it works for this situation. And it seems the world funnels down on you, your mind reels, searching for a reason to balance out what has happened, to justify an unjust action, to rationalise an unexpected event but you can't explain the just part of the loss of a life... You wonder, how do you pick up the strings of a new life?, one bereft of that person?

For a few days, it's all muddled up inside, you console,and are consoled, by people who share the same sorrow as you do, and you don't know how you are going to get over it, but, as time passes, you slowly start to focus on what you have to do-your job, your life, your activities. You move on, yes, the reality is harsh but it's the plain truth, nothing in this world is permanent, same goes for the sorrow that comes with a death...

A few weeks, months later, you remember the person; as a memory, and it's sometimes painful to think of their loss, and our mind formulates ways we could have prevented their passing, but these thoughts linger for mere moments before drowning in the multitude of day to day activities we're all committed to...

This, ironically, is the way the world moves on...