I am dying.

[Jeebo]

43. Leave some of yourself behind via the written word.

I am 74 in 13 days and I think about my mortality all the time. Another thing I think about often is that in my lifetime, I have had unique experiences that have taught me unique life lessons. Those personal experiences have taught me lessons in what my father used to call the "College of Hard Knocks" and I think I should write those lessons down and pass them along to others so that what I have learned from those lessons does not die with me. I am not talking about writing my autobiography or anything elaborate like that, but just write it down in the form of lengthy letters to friends and family so that after I go, they will still know and understand who I am. And I say "am" instead of "was" because the written word is one way to keep yourself alive forever in a sense by passing along a form of your identity and consciousness to those who will be aware of who you are. And who will never forget who you are. This is kind of hard to articulate, but I have been thinking about doing this myself for a long time but just have been procrastinating. If your days are numbered, I think this will be a good way for you to use them. I should stop procrastinating and do that myself; Lord knows there are life lessons I would like to pass along to friends and family so that those life lessons don't die with me. To keep what I have learned about life and the real world alive even if I can't keep my physical body alive. I hope that advice helps you.

-- Ron