more than survive, thrive!

'Everyone dies. It's a dice roll between sooner and later; it's not so much how you leave earth, but how you live on earth.'

I picked up a book called "Tuesdays with Morrie". Excellent read, I must say. Pictures speak a thousand words , but sometimes thousands of words paint better pictures, yah? Mitch Albom, in his best seller, definitely puts life into perspective as he unearths the "taboo" - death.

How would I face death? The T-Junction of extremes, I'd either..
1. Embrace it with arms wide open. It's about time I got to see my Maker.
2. Deny the reality of it and run away from it - like a little girl playing hide-and-seek.

Holding that thought, I decided to pull out the dvd, "Me Vs. Death" and hit the play button.

Me vs. Death : Part 1
At 4, intrigued with the circus...I decided to do my own balancing act with little beads on my nose. Tilting my head back and balancing a bead on one of my nostrils, I had an remarkable idea to launch it into the air. On the count of 3 : One, two....*takes a deep sniff in. Oops. "Bead in the hole, bead in the hole." I was rushed to the hospital, and tubes were shoved down my nose...took a couple of minutes before the bead received its thunderous applause as it made its way out of my nostrils. That kinda ended my circus career.

Me vs Death : Part 2
If I were a fish, I'd probably be a starfish - buried deep and washed ashore. Not much of a swimmer, having sensitive ears didn't help. My ears and water don't get along too well, once the water gets in...it kinda creates an ocean in my ears and never comes out but by force. Hence, the use of earplugs. At a youth retreat, I found myself in a pool looking for one of my earplugs which popped out. The next moment, I'm having leg cramps, and begin to sink. As Celine Dion grabbed the microphone, I noticed a whale(of a friend) coming towards me. Man, I was never so glad to see Henry. I grabbed on to his neck and..I was back on the surface. *Thanks Henry. Even if it wasn't a conscious effort.. you're a merman - a lifesaver.

Me vs Death : Part 3
With Sports Day around the corner, school folks were busy, the teachers were preoccupied. What an opportunity to skip classes for a day. At 17, a driver's license was a good enough escape plan. Three young students putting on our Fast & Furious minds, set out to 'drift' the windy roads on a hill. First 2 bends were clocked at 90kmph. It was time to set a 'new record' - being in the passenger's seat, I cheered my driver mate on. Pulling the handbrakes at 110kmph, on a hilltop - unwise. Having spun out of control, we were headed off the cliff. This was it . "3 School-Skipping Students Killed in Freak Car Accident" was ready to make its headlines on the news, if not for a small milestone on the side of the road. We're alive. "Let's head on to Mc D's to celebrate!". * Lesson learnt : Skipping school....bad.

My 'close encounters' with death, are miles apart from clenching award-winning-blockbuster titles. I'll embrace death,but till its time, not denying the possibility of it... I've decided to celebrate LIFE.