We Just Don't Know

This morning, a fire destroyed an irish pub and several apartments above it three blocks west of my house in south Minneapolis. The last I checked the news reports online, six people were confirmed dead - two adults, two children, and two other victims that remain unknown.

Any tragedy of this kind that takes even one human life hits me; however, I began to wonder why this one in particular is really effecting me. I did not know anyone who lived above and/or worked at the pub (I've only been there once to get some take-out food). It's not the first time I have seen or heard of a fire claiming lives and destroying someone's business or home. So why? With all the terrible, absurd events of the world where countless lives are lost, literally, on the hour - why? From what I can gather and understand for myself, death brings us face to face with our own mortality. Western society, I believe, has not fully accepted, if at all, the reality that death is part of the cycle of life. One day, our time will come. We're reminded daily of this reality in every possible form of media available to us. And most of us have experienced this up close and personal through the loss of a loved one or through our very own brush with death. But who wants think about it? Not me! No way! However, I cannot help but think about it. The older I get, the more it comes to mind. I'm not on some dark, morbid trip or trying to take someone there - at least I don't think I am. But I cannot deny that it is on my mind from time to time. Is it because I want to brace myself early for when my time comes? Am I wondering, "Is this gonna hurt really bad?" or "Oh my God! I don't want to see my wife or my mother go through that kind of sadness!" I'm not sure. Maybe a combination of all of them. Who knows?

My motivation for even writing about this is still looming about in my mind as we speak. My first thought is, "You just don't know what will happen. You gotta live YOUR life! Period." I've heard this said in one version or another within spiritual, dramatic, and even comedic contexts many times. Honestly, to me, it wreaks of cliche. But cliche or not, the Truth is the Truth. This life is our ONLY shot! If you believe in a higher power, karma, the after-life, hell, heaven, all or none of the above - the fact still remains that there is no part two, second act or encore after this life is over.

You are here NOW! Do your thing! As I have stated before, I am not, nor do I want to come off as the "morality police." If you are grown, able bodied and in your right mind, you are responsible for your choices and how you want to live. The point I am making is exactly that. Live! I am reminded of the lyrics from an old, obscure Doobie Brothers song from 30 years ago:

One by One
We're given these moments to live
Just as one by one
They're taken away