Gen-Jinjur

Gen-Jinjur t1_j60fmow wrote

I worked at a nursing home to pay for college. One quiet little lady was turning 103 the next day. We asked her if she was looking forward to it. She thought a moment and then said “ You know, I don’t think I want to be 103.”

She died that night.

I am in my 60s now. I’d be happy to get to 80. I miss my parents. I miss my dogs and cats that have died. I miss more and more people every year. I’m okay with joining those I love, whether in an afterlife or just as part of the elements of the universe.

Getting old hurts. Not being able to do things for yourself is really hard. I can’t imagine wanting many decades of all this. I’m not afraid to die. I don’t want to rush it, but when it comes it’s just the last big transition.

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Gen-Jinjur t1_iy7u6mx wrote

For centuries our species’ survival has depended on our developing a hyper-awareness to both environmental dangers and threats within our own “tribe.” Anything that reeks of a threat grabs our attention.

And in the battle for clicks, that becomes a huge problem. Manufactured threat existed well before social media (evening news shows routinely were advertised by ad bites saying things like “Hidden dangers in your child’s playground!!! Full story at six”) but now it permeates our lives.

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