Two weekends ago I was to go see a childhood friend I haven't seen in quite some time. She was my first friend in Canada, and has always held a special place in my heart. She and her partner had found a kitten four weeks prior to my scheduled visit and her playful kitten-ness was something I was really looking forward to experiencing. It had been a while since I had spent time with a kitten.
Unfortunately the visit was cancelled as the kitten was having back to back seizures and had to be put to sleep that same day. Understandably, the mommies were in no mood to entertain, but even though I had not met this kitten, I felt a deep sense of loss as well, at a life cut shot, at the unfairness of things, and at not being able to see my friends, their kitten and the joy she brought to them. In talking to my friend, she guessed that the seizures were likely why her mom and siblings left her behind on Thanksgiving, when she was found.
I told this to my husband, who is not very familiar with cats, and he said "how heartless". I replied that dogs do the same, they leave the pack when they know they aren't well because in the wild, the pack would kill them- or so I have heard. Of course, most of the wildness has been bred out of dogs now, but it makes sense somehow.
This also got me thinking of the value of life different species hold and I came to realize humans spend an incredible amount of money, time and effort in looking younger, feeling better and living longer. Why? Why are we so attached to life? Why not end it when the quality of life is far below the enjoyment we get from it? Why don't we extend the same courtesy to humans that we do to our furry friends? Then I remembered a Star Trek (Next Gen) episode called Half a Life about this very same topic; a civilization that killed its members at 40 regardless of health, place in society or their own desire to live. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_a_Life_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)
From and environmental standpoint, doesn't this make sense? Would it feel all that different knowing we have to do what we do in 40, 50 or however many years, and then we are done? If we are conditioned to know this is the norm, would we be ok with it? How would this help or hinder our societies, our drive to excel and our concerns for the future? What would we lose out on, having brilliant minds extinguished too soon?
From my own life, I can tell you if I knew 50 was the end, I would have never taken that full time job, I would have never left photography for 10 years. I would not worry about my weight, my bank account, my pension, or lack thereof, my husband and his health issues, getting a more reliable car, a better house or investing money. I would have spent the last 50 years creating the best art I could, kissing more, hugging longer, being more honest (yes I know this one I already do- to a fault), traveling more and burning the candle at both ends. I would have rocked life!!! Does that not automatically make for a life better lived? As it is, I worry about all of the above, plus my mother, my in-laws, my sister, the world, etc. etc. I have slowed down, physically and mentally and I let that get me down. How is this a good thing?
So many of us live half a life conserving our resources for later in life. How many people do I know who have died within a few months of retirement? And of course there is my mom, with an ok quality of life from the outside but whats going on inside? She lived her life in conservation and fear, and for what? Is this what a good life looks like? Is this what she was saving for? Somehow I don't think so.
Maybe it's time we look at the value of life more like animals and not attach the sentimentality to it that we do. Maybe then we would live our lives to the fullest each day.
Unfortunately the visit was cancelled as the kitten was having back to back seizures and had to be put to sleep that same day. Understandably, the mommies were in no mood to entertain, but even though I had not met this kitten, I felt a deep sense of loss as well, at a life cut shot, at the unfairness of things, and at not being able to see my friends, their kitten and the joy she brought to them. In talking to my friend, she guessed that the seizures were likely why her mom and siblings left her behind on Thanksgiving, when she was found.I told this to my husband, who is not very familiar with cats, and he said "how heartless". I replied that dogs do the same, they leave the pack when they know they aren't well because in the wild, the pack would kill them- or so I have heard. Of course, most of the wildness has been bred out of dogs now, but it makes sense somehow.
This also got me thinking of the value of life different species hold and I came to realize humans spend an incredible amount of money, time and effort in looking younger, feeling better and living longer. Why? Why are we so attached to life? Why not end it when the quality of life is far below the enjoyment we get from it? Why don't we extend the same courtesy to humans that we do to our furry friends? Then I remembered a Star Trek (Next Gen) episode called Half a Life about this very same topic; a civilization that killed its members at 40 regardless of health, place in society or their own desire to live. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_a_Life_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)
From and environmental standpoint, doesn't this make sense? Would it feel all that different knowing we have to do what we do in 40, 50 or however many years, and then we are done? If we are conditioned to know this is the norm, would we be ok with it? How would this help or hinder our societies, our drive to excel and our concerns for the future? What would we lose out on, having brilliant minds extinguished too soon?
From my own life, I can tell you if I knew 50 was the end, I would have never taken that full time job, I would have never left photography for 10 years. I would not worry about my weight, my bank account, my pension, or lack thereof, my husband and his health issues, getting a more reliable car, a better house or investing money. I would have spent the last 50 years creating the best art I could, kissing more, hugging longer, being more honest (yes I know this one I already do- to a fault), traveling more and burning the candle at both ends. I would have rocked life!!! Does that not automatically make for a life better lived? As it is, I worry about all of the above, plus my mother, my in-laws, my sister, the world, etc. etc. I have slowed down, physically and mentally and I let that get me down. How is this a good thing?
So many of us live half a life conserving our resources for later in life. How many people do I know who have died within a few months of retirement? And of course there is my mom, with an ok quality of life from the outside but whats going on inside? She lived her life in conservation and fear, and for what? Is this what a good life looks like? Is this what she was saving for? Somehow I don't think so. Maybe it's time we look at the value of life more like animals and not attach the sentimentality to it that we do. Maybe then we would live our lives to the fullest each day.
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