Monday 14 July 2014

A little ramble about death

Many of us claim that we "live each day as though it's our last", but can any of us honestly say that we are or know someone who lives their life with this mantra? If the answer is yes, are we being truthful? If we were, would so many of us waste away hours in front of television screens or holding grudges against those that we care about?

The knowledge of death truly changes everything: it puts our lives into perspective and any achievements or mistakes that have been made flash before our eyes, key moments are remembered with absolute clarity and any unnecessary ill feelings are long forgotten. It shows us that our physical bodies are not indestructible and that we are mortal, a thought that we tend to ignore, but if we didn't, would we approach certain life situations with more or less caution? Thus, does the knowledge of death mean we then develop a "fuck-it-I'm-going-to-die-anyway" attitude or do we believe that if we are more cautious that it will postpone death? But does it really matter when we die? Those with terminal illnesses undergo medical procedures in the hope of postponing death, sometimes for as little time as a few weeks, to ensure that they are ready to die. But are we ever ready to die? People claim to be ready once they have said their "goodbyes", but is this just a romanticised idea that we have been raised with to act as a guideline for what to do if any of us happen to know our time of death?

Why does the thought and finality of death cause so much fear? Is it because we don't want to know what happens afterwards, if anything at all? The unknown is welcomed in scenarios as everyday as getting married, no one knows what will happen if in ten years you'll still be as blissfully happy as you are on your wedding night or if you'll be emotionally scarred from a difficult divorce with only the custody of your German Shepard to show for it. The knowledge of death surrounds us, yet we continue to trick ourselves into thinking we're immune from it unless we're in a situation such as being a terminally ill patient with only a mere few weeks to live. We forget that we are mortal beings and death is inevitable - why should we fear something that cannot be escaped?

Why are the Saw films relevant? The films' main protagonist, Jigsaw, only truly appreciates his life once he is diagnosed with terminal cancer and survives a suicide attempt. Jigsaw chooses a select few to undergo his "tests" and in doing so is providing them with a chance to change, to realise the importance of their own life - redemption. Aside from the unnecessary blood and gore, the underlying theme running throughout the films is the missing piece in Jigsaw's selected few - hence his nickname - the survival instinct. The will to live is the most important element of all. Why do we not realise our capabilities until a life is hanging in the balance? Why is it only when our human bodies are pushed to the extreme that we see how much we want to live? The Saw franchise highlights how we must realise that we can only help ourselves, we all possess the tools to truly appreciate life, we just choose not to use them.

If it was a question of who will live and should live, does a healthy young drug-addict deserve to live more than a cancer patient who fights for their life every single day? All that matters is how you play the cards that you're dealt with, people steal and don't get caught, people lie and cheat and they get elected. You cannot change the fate of others, we are only in control of our own salvation. I guess the Saw films had more of an effect on me than I thought... Cherish your life, and mean it.