Lost Friends

I guess I am getting to the age where more and more people I am close to are passing away. Another friend died this last week of a heart attack at 61. He was in a very stressful job and that along with the diet he had of high roller cocktail lunches and his smoking all contributed to his death. I was sad to hear of him passing but he lived his life hard and enjoyed it most of the time as far as I could tell. I will miss him.

Which life is better the long and safe but boring life or the hard fast high energy burnout? Who is to judge? We all have to be our own judge of how we want to live our life. Is the pleasure derived from smoking and drinking worth the shortened life span? Does the pleasure of eating a high fat diet and drinking a bit in excess make up for a shorter life expectancy? Is taking risks in life worth the danger of injury or death? Who wants to die from nothing? Not me.

I have taken a lot of high risks in my lifetime. Wandering around Africa, Asia and South East Asia were all extremely dangerous places and I could easily have died of sickness or violence. I don't regret doing it though. I got a lot out of my choices in my life and I would not change much if anything if I had a do over. Sure I made mistakes, we all do. I don't worry about the mistakes. If I died in ten seconds from now I would have no qualms with it. Nobody ever will have to mourn my passing. I lived my life along the hard and fast path and enjoyed myself along the way. Sure I have health problems now with the high chronic pain that makes my life miserable sometimes but I still enjoy myself every chance I get. I suffer from depression which is triggered by the pain. I am aware of the connection and try to deal with it as well as I can. It might cost me my life one day, in fact I am sure it will, but I don't care because my life has been chock full of life and living.

I think about those that have passed on and think about their lives sometimes. Of course I don't know everything about their lives but nobody does. I try not to judge them as having had good lives or bad lives but it still creeps into my mind here and there. I hope that their lives were worthwhile to them at least.

I see way too many of my friends and family very stressed out and I know it is shortening their life expectancy. I would love to be able to help them reduce their stress and enjoy their lives more. Life can be short or long, you can never know when you are going to go. Please everybody learn to enjoy life no matter what the circumstances you are faced with. Otherwise I am not sure of the point of being alive. PURAVIDA