Mid life or half way to death?

by Douglas Heizer

“The most a man lives is 80….after that it is just boredom and tiredness”.
The Bible already says it; each day statistics prove even more that men life expectancy is
80 years old. Following that information I conclude I have already lived more than half of
my life, passed exactly 14% half way, what statistically means that I have only 36% left,
if I am not mistaken.

Statistics on the side, who knows how many years one will live?

Last week, my friend’s father asked not to have surgery and to go home and wait to die,
he just turned 82 years old and everyone is waiting for the eminent death, still today.
Today I spoke to another friend who I have not seen in awhile, and she told me her father
passed away 6 months ago, he was 73, died quickly, although he was in good health. That
gentleman I knew well, and it is without any after-passing demagogy, I liked him a lot,
someone who inspired me as a role model to set the standards of my adult life.

Funny these standards, which we instinctively create, and we intend to follow when we
reach adult life.

I myself have always planned to be a “modern old timer” not “deviant”. I’ve always
enjoyed being plugged with what is modern and it includes everything we have within
ourselves, the spirit of being young that maintain us. And that goes from what we like to
watch and listen, what we use daily till the way we dress ourselves, I am modern , yes, so
what? Vanity, all is vanity…..

We put ourselves together, or rather, we program ourselves with a series of pre-existing
role models/templates, starting with the father, followed by friends’ parents, religious
icons, politicians, professionals and that it is…..ready, it is ready the “new” new-man
model!

Keeping fit is fundamental, good eating habits, good sleeping habits, avoiding alcoholic
beverages, drugs (licit or illicit), avoiding stress, keeping a nice and healthy family. Well,
there are a few components that due to irony, you should be preparing since very young
age!

If you don’t prepare yourself early, it will be more difficult to go after the difference! But
as the popular say goes, “better later than never”.

All this remind me of the story of two friends talking to each other, by one friend’s
death bed at the hospital, talking about the few days one friend had to live and asked
him: “Man, you are so lucid, you are well, it is hard to believe you have only one week
to live, it is incredible to see how you are reacting in such a tranquil way!” Then the sick

friend’s answer: “We are both in the same boat, the only difference is that I already know
when I will die and you don’t. But the only thing you can be certain, you are going to die
too and it could be even before me! My life is in order what about yours?”

Look, that can cause panic in any of us, right? This question is horrible: Is your life in
order?

You must be thinking about your bills, your insurance, your retirement, in a bunch of
things that, sorry to say, you are not going to enjoy after you die, but what I want to know
is: is your life in order with God?

If you don’t know, it is passed the time to find out, don’t you think?
The good part is there is a test to check that: “All who believe in Jesus will not die, and
will have eternal life….”

Well, I hope to see you in heaven, a place that I will certainly go to! And then, I am out
of the statistics of life and death because what waits for me is eternal life!

Until there, or earlier around here…..