The Norsemen of old, with their pantheon of gods as harsh and unpredictable as the frozen tundra and finicky fjords of their homeland, believed that the events of their lives were predestined even before the moment of their birth. After their pre-determined death, all souls would travel to Valhalla, but only a chosen few would be deemed worthy to sit at the table in the Great Hall of Odin's long house.
The events of the past week have found me pondering a life without fear. My mind does not allow me to assign blind faith to any religious doctrine, nor will it allow me to wholly discount "free will" insofar as the will can be defined as "free." But I must admit that evidence gathered over the sum of my years thus far might indicate that there is indeed "a time to die." MSU alone has had more "near misses" than any person should live to tell about. I, myself, have lived to tell the tale of numerous experiences that have killed coutless others. Three weeks ago, the 9-year-old son of a couple we know was hit by a car traveling at a fairly slow rate of speed when he failed to look both ways before crossing. I know several children who have been in similar circumstances and sported casts to school a week later. Not this one. He died of survivable injuries 2 hours after being hit. Why? Why him and not my other friend's 5 year old who sustained significantly graver injuries and lived to thrive? His time, perhaps... and not hers. MSU stood up and walked away from his accident last week - a 40 mph direct broadside hit to a motorcycle - when most others in similar happenstance did not survive to await settlement. Why? Perhaps just not his time.
It boils down to this: those who believe that their lives and deaths are predestined, preordained, and predetermined have no reason to fear. No choice, no action, no failure to act will change the events that have already been destined to occur. And if judgment of worthiness is based on how well a predetermined series of events is weathered, fought, ridden, played, danced, and worked, then it makes sense that the more fiercely one can live that life the more worthy that life will be judged to have been.
What would you do if you had no reason to fear? What would you accomplish if you knew that your success or failure was ultimately already in motion and the outcome already known to every Universal power but you? How fiercely and passionately would you live your life if you knew, without a doubt, that your choices would not affect the outcome at all? For in a passionate and zealous lifetime, every day is a good day to die because very day is a good day to live.
I fear no one. I want nothing. I am free.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
A subject I've given a lot of thought to unfortunately.
I hope it's true about "when it's your time". I'm really counting on it. While I admire your perspective on the subject, I have not been able to use this realization in a such positive way myself. Though, I have found a lot of comfort in believing it to be true.
For me there is always that nagging bastard of a question, "What if?". What if I die today? I won't get to see my children grow up. Did I do enough to secure my family's future? Who will be there for my middle child if he can't function in society? Worse, What is today isn't the day I die and I lived it like it was? Certainly tomorrow's success is reaped from the seeds we plant today.
I see your vision, clearly but I can't grab hold of it. Oh but how I wish I could. A life without fear. That would be something.
Great post.
Post a Comment