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If you had a month left to live…
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:16 am
by GeneD
A colleague of mine asked me what I would do if I had a month left to live (we work in retail; we pass the time as best we can
). This is assuming I get the denial and possible depression out of the way really quickly. He also asked if I would still act the way I normally do or if I’d go out of my way to make a lasting impression on people.
I’m not sure exactly what I’d do, but it would involve as much time spent with my family and friends as possible and doing things like going oversees to places I’ve always wanted to visit.
I figure that the people who matter to me already have an impression of me that I wouldn’t feel the need to change, so I guess I wouldn’t act too differently.
It’s an interesting question, if a bit morbid, but what would you do and how would you act if you had a month left to live?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:12 am
by Sakaki Onsei
Haruhi. I would do what Haruhi would do.
That's all I need to say.
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:42 am
by Saj
im not sure what i would do over the course of a month, id definitely play a truly massive game of battletech with my nerd friends. (lol). sell all my crap, and give all the money to either blood water mission or passion conference. sleep in bed with my parents like when i was little. On my last day tho... id go to a particular persons house and tell her im sorry for everything and tell how much i love her, and tell her why everything went so wrong, and then spend the rest of the day in key west so i can admire God on earth before i meet him face to face.
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:25 pm
by Syreth
I would quit my job, quit school, spend all of my time with my loved ones, do as much writing as possible and look forward to heaven. ^^
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:48 pm
by Tsukuyomi
I'd be really really really sad, because I don't want ot leave any of my loved ones ;_; I'd try my best to spend ever waking minute with them and do as much as I can with them
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:35 pm
by Prince Asbel
Hmmm.... Well, there's about a bajillion things I'd WANT to do... Hm... This is what I'd WANT to do, but I probably wouldn't do. I'd advertise to people in my same situation and ask if anyone who wasn't currently married wanted to get married for the remaining period of time. That's the biggest thing I want for myself right now being second to being a good Christian, to enjoy a marriage relationship.
As to what I'd REALLY do is I would first make a will regarding what happens to my stuff and write a cool theological piece for the pastor to read to my mourners regarding where I felt I was then as opposed to where they are now (time passage wise). I'd probably forget about school and stuff and enjoy myself as much as possible. Maybe I'd even send an e-mail to a certain friend of mine imploring her to turn to Christ. Get some movies or TV series that I really wanted and watch them all day and I'd also... Well, the list gets pretty long, so I think I'll stop there.
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:06 pm
by Kaligraphic
I would spend the entire month calculating the exact moment of my death and arranging that, just prior to the end, I can tell some truly outrageous lie, and end with "may I be struck dead if I lie."
That'd put some respect for the truth into people.
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:14 pm
by Tsukuyomi
Kaligraphic (post: 1234564) wrote:I would spend the entire month calculating the exact moment of my death and arranging that, just prior to the end, I can tell some truly outrageous lie, and end with "may I be struck dead if I lie."
That'd put some respect for the truth into people.
That.. would definitely do it xD;
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:22 pm
by KhakiBlueSocks
One word--ROADTRIP. Seriously, cross country. From one coast to the other! Just me, my car, gasoline, and my credit and debit cards. Visit all the big cities and the wide countrysides. Along the way, I would stop by some CAA Members houses and give out all my anime DVD's along with a good glomp goodbye. I would also find an anime convention, ANY anime convention, and cosplay as Wolfwood from Trigun. And just becuase I could, I would call up ADV and DEMAND to speak with Vic Mingona and Matt Greenfield. Vic because he's just the coolest and Matt to tell him to cram some extras in his Complete Collection box sets! (Seriously--Trailers aren't extras!) My last week, I would finally work up the courage to tell that special someone in my life how I really feel about her: really spill my guts to her. I would also spend some time with my family, giving away all my stuff except my class ring--that's coming with me! Haruhi. I would do what Haruhi would do.
The Hare Hare Youki dance? That would be...interesting, to say the least.
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:45 pm
by Tsukuyomi
I want to learn how to do that dance O_O Looks fun ^^
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:19 pm
by KhakiBlueSocks
Tsukuyomi (post: 1234596) wrote:I want to learn how to do that dance O_O Looks fun ^^
Just add it to the list of things to do before you die! Oh yeah, I want it stated here and now that I want the Hare Hare Youki Dance preformed at my funeral! No crying, becuase I'm going to a better place! I also want DDR, Pocky, and Ramune soda served. Oh, and all in attendance are to recieve box sets of "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya".
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:31 pm
by Roy Mustang
I can't really answer that question, because I view everyday as it could be your last day.
But I would try to visit all my CAA friends.
KhakiBlueSocks wrote:Just add it to the list of things to do before you die!
Oh yeah, I want it stated here and now that I want the Hare Hare Youki Dance preformed at my funeral! No crying, becuase I'm going to a better place! I also want DDR, Pocky, and Ramune soda served. Oh, and all in attendance are to recieve box sets of "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya".
I want a full group of cute nurses doing the Lucky Star cheer dance at my funeral, top that!
[color="Red"]
[font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:41 pm
by Tsukuyomi
*Cannot and does not want to top that* XDD
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:08 am
by Jaltus-bot
I would tell a lot of people that I love them or tell them something about them that I really like and appreciate about them or that has been a blessing to me, including the people I do a terrible job of keeping in touch with.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:39 am
by termyt
Getting a concrete timeframe for the end of your life makes it easier, I think. Suddenly all of the things you think you should do get the priority they should have had all along.
Sakaki Onsei (post: 1234429) wrote:Haruhi. I would do what Haruhi would do.
That's all I need to say.
Take the rest of the world with you?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:44 pm
by uc pseudonym
We get quite a few threads asking this hypothetical question, but I think it can be helpful for people to think about it, so that's just as well. It probably isn't worth replying to all of them, but I'll do this one.
If I knew with hypothetical certainty that I had exactly one month to live, here's my general plan:
1) Inform family and friends of the circumstances. Special attention paid to online profiles, letters, and anything else where other people would be trying to get a response from me and receive no answers.
2) Notify my employers and stop work immediately. Collect last partial paycheck.
3) Cancel my enrollment in college and other miscellaneous programs.
4) Ensure I have nothing of value creditors would take, make sure my family wouldn't be responsible for college debt, then liquidate my assets and donate those and savings to some cause that needs money.
5) Finish a few personal projects... maybe. While I can't justify spending time on pursuits that now have no future, I don't think it could hurt to upload the rest of my fiction or other things I already have done.
6) Spend the rest of my time working in disaster relief or some other project that provides immediate results. My life to this point has essentially been based on potential future good I hope to do, so if that's not going to happen I might as well ensure the world is at least a bit better for my existence.
That's my initial thought, anyway. I essentially reject the idea of acting exactly the same as I do normally.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:18 pm
by Shao Feng-Li
Max out my credit cards.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:07 pm
by Tsukuyomi
uc pseudonym (post: 1234731) wrote:That's my initial thought, anyway. I essentially reject the idea of acting exactly the same as I do normally.
You have my curiosity quite peaked now. How do you normally act now o.o?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:09 pm
by minakichan
Quit everything and sleep.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:28 pm
by Tsukuyomi
minakichan (post: 1234756) wrote:Quit everything and sleep.
But, you would be doing alot of sleeping afterwards... o_o You'd be sleeping the eternal sleep ~(O_O)~
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:50 pm
by TallHobbit86
This may be impractical, but, if I could, I'd travel the whole world with my family and friends and live every moment to the fullest! Life is such an adventure after all!
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:25 pm
by Tsukuyomi
Awww, that sounds fun ^^ Whatever I do.. it'll be with my family and friends ^_______^
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:45 pm
by TallHobbit86
Yeah, that's the key. Even if world-traveling was ultimately impractical. Spending time with all the people one has developed relationships with over the years is the key. Although a grand "bucket list" definitely spices things up! XD
PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:09 pm
by uc pseudonym
Tsukuyomi wrote:You have my curiosity quite peaked now. How do you normally act now o.o?
Like a person who is going to live longer than a month.
Much of what I do (going to college, working to earn money, gaining skill-sets for a career path, writing novels) is based on the idea that I will be able to build up to something lasting. If I'm dying in a month, those projects will never finish and so they're fairly pointless.
PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:17 pm
by Tsukuyomi
Ah, gottcha ^^ I thought you meant something else.. like attitude/personality wise or something like that for some reason ^^;
I was about to say.. Is there another side to UC we all don't know of ~(O_O)~
PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:16 pm
by sharien chan
Tsukuyomi (post: 1234596) wrote:I want to learn how to do that dance O_O Looks fun ^^
The dance is fun! Savannah and I learned it ^_^
But I would marry my fiance the next day after finding out, and then spend as much time with my family and my close close friends.
You know...the typical cliche stuff.
PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:32 pm
by GeneD
Stopping studies and my part-time job would also rank pretty high on my to-do list.
I'd also check out the possibilities of organ donation, making sure that my family won't have to pay ridiculous fees to donate my organs or I'd make provision for this from my own finances if I can.
It's sad to say this, but I'd also probably be able to witness to people about Christ more confidently that I normally would. sad, but true.
PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:06 pm
by animewarrior
Tsukuyomi (post: 1234765) wrote:But, you would be doing alot of sleeping afterwards... o_o You'd be sleeping the eternal sleep ~(O_O)~
Heaven = sleep? BORING.
PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:13 pm
by Gabriel 9.0
animewarrior (post: 1235100) wrote:Heaven = sleep? BORING.
Anime warrior I think Lucky meant that the saints that have departed atm are in sleep until they are brought back to life at the Second coming.
On topic, I would spend time with my loved ones, entitled them to finish up my stories about God. And trust in God that I made it to Heaven.
PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:49 pm
by ShiroiHikari
- Travel to as many places as possible.
- Spend time with my friends and family and the man I love.
- Have a wedding ceremony.
- Get some kind of will written.
- Eat lots of things that I want to eat.
There are a lot of other things on my "bucket list", but they can't be done in a month. Those things include:
- Raise some children.
- Finish my story.
- Learn to play an instrument.
- Get better at Japanese.