Sustenance Abuse

It's time to talk about life again.

I feel like I've worn out this subject to the point where it really has no value anymore, but just when I say that, something happens that reinvigorates the thought process, so prolonging the conversation. Really, that's all this blog has come to anyways. Life. Living it, enduring it, breathing it, and in some cases, cheating it. In a mild manner, that's the subject of this week's blog. Cheating death. Many of us can reach back and detail a story where, perhaps, life nearly slipped away from our grasp. Hell, I've heard stories where life did fall out of reach, and yet some were still able to get it back. One of these stories came to me through the eyes of one of my better friends, to which I had no knowledge of until just yesterday. Apparently, my friend got into a pretty bad car wreck (from what I gather, the car rolled and landed upside down), but still managed to crawl out of the car unscathed. Such a story is truly amazing, to be faced in death's looming presence and still yet managed to escape as if nothing happened. What is perhaps even more amazing is that through this experience, she says she still takes away a newfound appreciation for life.

And that got me thinking.

Now that I think of it, it normally takes a life changing event like a car crash to really get others to realize how meaningful yet unpredictable life is. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to criticize my friend for her appreciation or anyone that has ever had an experience of the like that gave new meaning to life, but it seems that often humanity forgets that life is not always a guarantee. Tomorrow is an expected force, an entitlement, a guarantee. In the grand scheme of things, this is never the case. It is usually the wake up call of a death-defying feat that gets us to see that. But what makes it that the majority do not already value life to the fullest extent? (I feel like I've talked about this before, but who cares, we're doing it again.) Humanity abuses life, always future seeking and rarely thinking of the present situation. Of course, it is a consideration, but is it ever kept in mind that today may very well be the very last day we exist? The last hour? Minute? Second?

Of course, this paranoia isn't necessary.

However, it does bother me that people expect another day, but it irritates me just the same on the opposite side of the spectrum with the mass of those who appreciate every day. Contradicting, I know, but there's a right and wrong way of doing so. I'm not a huge fan of those who use the cliche of living every day like it's your last. In that sense, appreciation because too literal and almost forced. It sounds obligatory to make every day model the very last, creating a cycle of last days that are just the same as what is supposed to be your last. Where is the variety? The spontaneity? The possible yet healthy danger? Even worse, these YOLO kids who don't even need an introduction, nor any of my attention.

It's all petty.

But truly, how much is too much or too little of your appreciation of life? What does it matter whether you needed a kick or not to appreciate it? As long as one does appreciate their life, or even simply go as far to acknowledge their life every now and again, that's all that matters. It's too mentally taxing to constantly tell yourself "Life is beautiful. Life is important. Life is a gift." It becomes mechanical at such point, even belittling the personal meaning of life. What does make life great is the lukewarm breezes, the flowers on the side of the road, the sun shiny days that are near that make us stop and realize, "Wow, life is great." I should know, it happens to me all the time. It's great to be alive, even when it may seem the opposite. Just a little thought for the week:

What is it in your life that truly makes life beautiful?