If only we had more time

“Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.”
~Epicurus quotes (Greek philosopher, BC 341-270)~


This morning I was sitting up in front of my computer reading Detiknews when it was first reported that Indonesian former President Soeharto was in critical condition and that he suffered a multi organ failure (again) ...later it changed to he passed away at 13.10pm Indonesian time. Immediately all the television networks are swarming over Soeharto death stories. Coverage is impressive from all local channels.

His death had been a result of the slow deterioration due to his long term illness. From the day he was rushed to the hospital earlier this month, we all knew that he was dying, but he was revived after his heart stopped, went into critical condition , revived again ... all thanks to the highly dedicated 40 doctors who gave all their best to treat him. He appeared to be in a holding situation of life and death - from which you're just waiting to be released into the next stage, but miraculously he survived despite the knowledge that he was on borrowed time. At the same time there were talks going on about his past corrupt deeds and human right abuses but just as quickly disappeared into thin air because there's not enough proofs and everybody else (his cronies) did it too. It is a conflicting situation that the people is divided by those who loved, feared, hated and envied him. Like it or not, he became a part of the lives of a lot of Indonesian citizens, and he will be missed. May God bless his soul.

I am not going to discuss about his political legacy because you can find them all over the news, let him rest in peace. What I am going to highlight here is how we all perceive death. No one likes to speak about death, it's a taboo subject to some people. Whenever someone we know dies, it reminds us that we will all die one day. We all try to rationalize it as a life completed so that it makes sense to us. For some, death is not an end but instead it is a beginning. Then there are people who believe that death is the end of everything, that you only get one chance at life and then there is oblivion. How do you perceive death? Are you afraid of death?

*image from TokohIndonesia