DEATH, WHY THE FEAR?

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee..."

These are the famous words of John Donne, which passage was taken from his Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions 1624 Meditation 17; although originally written as prose were later made into a poem "for whom the bell tolls!" This is one of my most favorite writings of all times as it asks a soul-searching question which "our mad rush to nowhere" has never allowed us to answer ever since! Who is the "thee" referred to in the closing lines above? It is you, me, a relative, a friend, a family member and sometimes a total stranger! The same goes for an open casket - for whom is for instance, the above casket door open? It is open for you, me, a relative, a family member and sometimes a total stranger! The above two examples affirm one thing and one thing only, - that we are all in this together; just passing through!

The irony of life or life's essence is that no one really knows who answers that call first and it is not by age, wealth, beauty, size or any other considerations that death chooses whom to kill. Surely all of us shall one day be forced into that tight confines of a casket and it does not matter if you once lived in a twenty bedroom mansion or your bedroom was the size of Georgia dome with a California canopied king size bed nestled in one corner of it. The only exception however is if one is so unfortunate not to have a body to be so confined such as those victims of a fiery plane crash in an isolated jungle or some other inaccessible place on earth; or those washed away to seas by a ravaging tsunami or those who simply disappeared without a trace or were eaten by wild beasts some where in the African wilderness. So if you are fortunate to take up a confined space final residency at your last call, to God be the glory as you can still move on with it to the land beyond. The most important question as you churn these passages in your mind is to ask yourself, "Have you made peace with your inner self? Have you done all that you can necessarily do today to prepare for your passage into the life beyond? Have you done all those favors you want to do today and not necessarily wait till tomorrow to do them, as tomorrow may never come? What are your death plans? Have you disclosed to your loved ones and family how you would like your final rites to be performed and whether you will like the fiery final exit of cremation or choreographed burial! Whether you would like your remains shipped to motherland if you are in the Diaspora or interred where you are domiciled? Are there any wills or plans to make one? If you have not done so, immediately after reading this, do yourself that singular favor; you can always update them as time goes but know that tomorrow may never come!

Afraid? You shouldn't be, as death is the only certainty in an uncertain world! Why do men still fear death, the great equaliser? Ajanaku! It, that takes one when life is supposedly sweetest! The humbler of all humanity! The thief who steals whenever it pleases - in daylight or nighttime! What name has not been used to described this end of all beginnings? Yet men fear thee! Why? Poet MJA once wrote, "Death, thank you for killing mankind otherwise life as we know it, will be really too unfair!" Can you imagine if death has a price and some people can pay that price? Can you imagine if death can be bribed and some people can bribe Mr. Death? How unlivable and hellish life would be for some very unfortunate ones who would be the butt of the death insured fellows? Death, life will be incomplete without thou! Isn't it beautiful that such a leveller exists? Have you ever for once stopped in your tracks amidst all your running around to ponder, where, when and/or how your ultimate end will come? Is the fact that you are oblivious of the time, place and manner of its coming not enough to turn you into a new leaf today and for the better? If you do not have any control over it, why then do you think you really matter so much? Introspectively everyone is really a nobody and this should be the beginning of our wisdom on earth. Take a second to try and remember all those you know who have departed? The number is rather mind-boggling because they are too many of them who have moved on. As at the last count this blogger counted one thousand five hundred transited people since last July 2007 who this blogger remembers. Where are all these people today? They are all dead and gone forever, but to where?

Have you ever thought of dying? How would you like to die? Have you ever watched a person die? Have you ever witnessed death in real time as it takes over one's body? Have somebody close to you either a relative or a friend died in your arms? Have you ever had the singular most sorrowful experience of throwing a fare-well earth to earth dirt on on a casket containing the remains of a dear one who is being buried? Have you ever thereafter thought that it could have been you in that casket that was covered with dirt and walked away from, condemned to bone chilling loneliness in perpetuity? But why haven't you, since you are born a mortal and that grim fate awaits you. That is the greatest gift to mankind! The mother of all gifts! Scared now? Aren't you? But hate the message or love it, death will come when it will come; so said the great William Shakespeare and he was wise! Icheoku counsels you to live everyday as if it is a borrowed day since tomorrow may never come! Live every day knowing that may be your last day on earth with any viable pulse! Be good to all you meet as a second opportunity at meeting them may be aborted by MR. DEATH! Do all the favors you can today as that long awaited "D-day" reserved for favors may never come to pass because of the almighty killer, DEATH! Make peace with yourself. Want more, just be good and always remember your mortality!