Pangs of Mortality

Recently, I've been feeling quite mortal. Ever since March, when I had some medical problems (for the entire month), I've been frequently reminded of my own limited lifespan, and have questioned what I've done and what I haven't done.

I feel pretty happy with the way I've lived my life, and if it ends soon then most of the regrets that I will have will centre around being unable to see where we go as a species in the next sixty-odd years, and not being able to spend many more years with those I love. A long time ago, I decided that my time on Earth was all that I had and that there was no afterlife of any tangible kind awaiting me when I die. As a result, I believe that the only way I will live on after death is in electronic words and the memories of others, and that at some point all of that will be relegated to history (hence the blog name).

It's odd, when you think about it... Human beings (and life) are fragile in the individual case, and it takes very little to kill most creatures. However, on a higher species or all-life level, life is very resilient and is able to grow and adapt to many, many things. I'm honoured to have had a chance to play some infinitesimal part in all of this, and I firmly believe that humanity is destined to be something truly great, and that we will not wipe ourselves out before we reach that destiny.