Blink

Emily Phillips: She was born, she blinked and...

I read recently about a Florida woman, Emily Phillips, who wrote her own obituary. It went something like this. I was born, I blinked, and it was over. It hit me hard. Because I could entirely relate. Luckily or by the grace of God, I'm not writing my own obit at present, but for certain, I was born, I blinked, and I turned 50. Or 52. How the hell did that happen?

I look at writing projects on my table. Some stuff I've been thinking about for years. More than ten years. Back when a man or a women entering the workforce or even writing their first stuff was still in kindergarten. In some ways, life is better than it's ever been. I feel better, because I work out like crazy and I don't abuse myself like I once could. Was a time I could party all night and get up and bite on the nail. That no longer holds true, so I don't abuse myself. It just isn't worth it anymore.

But there are scares that, dare I say it, come with age. The doctors tell me I have too much plaque on the arteries. It's genetic for the most part. But now I'll need to take medication to keep the cholesterol down. The bad stuff. I have to cut out certain foods. No more red meats or butter or bacon double cheeseburgers. Oh well. You do what you have to do. You're lucky to be here.

There are those who are not so lucky. People who have been friends for ages. For life in some cases. They are sick. Gravely sick. You never imagined the possibility let alone probability, that they would one day be gone from your life, so you put off seeing them for a while because life is getting in the way. A while turns into years, and years, and more years. And then you find out they aren't well. You do what you can to help them, but it will never be enough. You failed them a long time ago. You were selfish.

Look at yourself in the mirror. You might not realize it, but the life is racing by. Make the days count, the hours, the minutes. I know you've heard it before, but don't sweat the little things. Live the life the way you always imagined it. Buy a plane ticket...Now.  A ticket to anywhere.
Because one day you'll blink, and it will be over.

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