*This article is originally posted at BD7A Online Journalism Wordpress in compliance with the requirement for my online journalism class at the University of the East-Manila.
All these days I had no idea on what to write about this topic. I really don’t want to talk about anything related to “the end of the world”, or “the last days of my life here on Earth”. I am such a positive person that I just want to talk about things in the meantime or perhaps about future plans. In fact, I always look ahead of my path in a very optimistic way, for instance, I always save money in order to prepare for my future. I also prepare a time table to help me identify the things that I should be doing in every hour of my day, but not until that day.
- (Source: motioncars.inquirer.net)
It was July 16, 2014. The doomsday, as everyone would have exaggerated it. According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA, a very strong typhoon would hit Metro Manila in the afternoon of July 16. When I heard that, I had the biggest fright of my life.
There was a sudden pause, and then a very long pause again.
Everything went to a halt and all I could hear was a silent buzz that perhaps no one but me could only hear.
I was very afraid of what might happen as soon as this strong typhoon makes its landfall in Metro Manila. I was not afraid of what might happen to me, because I was not just thinking about myself. I was thinking about my family, I was all worried about my unfortunate remnants once something bad happens to me.
Then, it hit me.
What if that day is going to be my last day on Earth? What if on that day I suddenly expire and I have not gotten any plans about it? Life would have totally screwed me, in one way or another, but I would not have loved the idea of my life ending because there was a scarcity of safety around me. That indeed, would be very boring. Thank you very much but I am not going to entertain the idea of dying just like that.
What if I only have 24 hours left on the life-clock? What if the Fates have actually decided to shorten my string of life and cut it after 24 hours? Would I still have the chance to complete everything that I have listed on my bucket list? Would I still have the opportunity to leave a legacy on Earth? Would I still be able to make memories with my love ones? With 24 hours on the clock, I don’t think it is possible. However, I have Cicero’s quote sculptured on my system: While there’s life, there’s hope.
- (Source:quotespedia.info)
I just can’t give up each inch of hope that I have in life. Do you remember what I said first thing here on this article? I am a positive person. I will live an optimistic life until my last breath.
Hence, here I am. If I would really have 24 hours left on my life-clock, and I would not have any chances to prolong my stay here on Earth, then I should start working on my last-minute plans now. One of my best friends, his name is Facebook, has frequently asked me this: What’s on your mind? Really, I appreciate the thought that one of my best friends is actually asking me about the stuff that goes on my head. In fact, I love the idea of someone asking me that question now, because to be honest with you, my fellow readers, nothing has come up to my mind yet. However, whenever I think about death, which I haven’t occasionally done so far, I always think of nothingness. Nothingness, according to one of my best friends (again) and his name is Dictionary.com by the way, it is the state of being nothing. And that is I am very much afraid of. Frankly speaking, I do not want to be forgotten. I am not trying to be Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars who had feared oblivion, but seriously speaking, some of us might have feared the same thing too. However, I don’t think that is going to work on me. I’m just nobody, I’m not somebody. Even though I don’t want to be forgotten, that’s still going to happen eventually. People will die; it is natural and it is part of the cycle of life.
- (Source: weheartit.com)
Therefore what should I do in the supposedly last 24 hours of my life? Should I accomplish everything that I have listed on my bucket list, or even just the half of it? Again, I don’t think that is possible. It would take me time. Indeed, it would take me a lot of time to accomplish everything that I want to accomplish.
Then I realized that I just want to be me. I want just to be myself in my remaining time on Earth. I don’t want to do anything that is beyond my scope of resources and capabilities. I just want to stay where I should be staying at: MY HOME. I just want to stay with the people I should be staying with: MY FAMILY.
- My siblings and I
I just want to do the things that I should be doing everyday: eating, reading, learning, playing, and lots of USUAL THINGS. At the end of the day, when Death arrives I shall come with him peacefully. At the end of the day, I want to realize that I am not actually afraid to die, for...
“Death be not proud, though some have called theeMighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so,For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrowDie not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.”-(Death Be Not Proud. John Donne, 1631)
