14. Last Day Ever

People are curious creatures. They always want to know more about something. It could be anything from astronomy to hydrology to anything about another human being. Often, people are curious about the latter thing listed. Recently I was asked the question, "If you only had one day to live, how would you spend it?" I had to think really long and really hard about this question. I wasn't quite sure if I would want to do something extreme, or something soft and quiet. After a couple days of pondering, I finally figured it out. 

If I had 24 hours to live, I would want to live. Yes, that may sound very vague at first, but it is the most descriptive phrase that I can manner to think to say it! I would want to experience everything needed in a life. Not necessarily every experience, such as skydiving, or even making a bon fire, but more mentally. We all have emotions as a part of being human. It's a part of life. I would want to experience every emotion in my last day. 

You may say, "Well what about anger or hatred? Surely you wouldn't want to feel those!" I would reply in agreement. We can truly only know the good emotions that we have, if we have felt the negative side of those same emotions. With love there is hatred. With happiness there is sadness. The way I see it, you can truly only know what it is like to love, if you know what it is like to hate. Maybe not quite hate, as you would see in a movie, where the antagonist wants to beat the protagonist to a pulp, but hate in the manner of being exceedingly jealous or something like that. 

I have already experienced what it is like to be jealous, I have already experienced excruciating pain and sorrow. I know what it is like to fall, and not want to get back up. But it's because of these things that I can know what it is like to have fun, be happy, and love. On my last day, I want to experience every good emotion there is in living. I want to truly live. 

I would start off my day in service for others. I would wander around with a giant smile on my face, trying to make everyone around me smile. I love making people smile and be happy. I have not found much else in life that makes me happier than giving out charity to others. Next, I would go see my family and spend some time with them. I wouldn't necessarily want to do anything with them, but rather I would reminisce with them about past memories, for when a memory is discussed, it is also relived. By doing these two things, I would have experienced every good emotion. Charity, love, happiness, joy, selflessness, gratitude, etc. Those two things encompass my whole life. 

I was once told, "If today was your last day to live, would you be doing what you're doing right now?" This one question has changed my whole life. I no longer spend time wasting my time with trivial matters such as video games, Twitter, or other pointless activities. I now live everyday like I would want to live my last. I can honestly say that if I died right now, I would have no regrets.