No More Thinking About the End

It may seem odd to many boomers and other old folks, but I don’t fear death.

Now in my mid-70s, I’ve reached many of the goals set many years ago. I never expected life to go on forever — and wouldn’t want it to. After so many trips around the Sun, it can get kinda boring.

But have you ever considered a few of the positives about kicking the proverbial bucket?

• No more filing state and federal income taxes. That means no longer have to keep track of everything you do during the previous years before filing.
• No more having to replace vehicles, appliances, and other devices.
• No more grieving over the passing of relatives, friends, and pets.
• No more visits to various doctors for whatever procedures to keep you from dying.
• No more telephone calls from spammers trying to sell you a car warranty, medicare supplement, or life insurance.
• No more worries about political polarization, climate change, and pollution.
• No more concerns about the price of gasoline, groceries, and prescriptions.
• No more reading about mass murders and senseless gun violence.
• No more worrying about getting rid of the clutter collected over the years.
• No more upgrading smartphones, computers, laptops, and tablets.
• No more having to deal with toxic people.
• No more seeing and reading about the atrocities of war.
• No more having to take your vehicles in to be serviced or repaired.
• No more thinking about home security.
• No more contending with those who have road rage.
• No more having to face rude, disrespectful, and pretentious people.
• No more answering the front door and seeing religious missionaries, political aspirants, or strangers collecting money for various fundraisers.
• No more deadlines because you’re finally dead.

There’s more I could add to the list, but you get the idea. I bet there are a lot of things you would include.

In the meantime, I’ll wake up each morning and do those things I find challenging, worthwhile, and fulfilling. And then go to bed each night, hoping I accomplished something. But I won’t lose sleep over it — unless it’s getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

Maybe death is a final blessing from the pain, the mundane, and the insane we’ve encountered throughout our lives.

Until the next time . . .

(This post originally appeared at Medium.com)