on death and permanence, there are no do-overs

Vessal Jaberi
February 03, 2025

you don’t get a do-over on this life.

whether you believe in life beyond this one or not,

you only get one go at this version.

so why don’t you treat it that way?

last month, David Lynch, a movie director i liked passed away.

it got me thinking about the permanence of death, or at-least, the permanence of this version of life.

and just how long that is. the concept of forever.

i know most people don’t like to think about death, but hear me out, because i think being reminded of our mortality can be a great wake-up call.

once you are gone, it’s over,

to infinity and beyond.

you are closer to the time the t-rex was the king of the dinosaurs than how long you will be dead for,

when you stretch time like that, it might get terrifying,

but for me, it’s freeing.

it allows me to see life as a collection of moments:

these can be life milestones, like first steps, or first day of school, but can be ones we forget like brushing our teeth, or cleaning our homes.

i think seeing life as just moments will help you to be detached from the outcome:

many times you fear the outcome of getting something wrong, or looking like a fool.

you don’t tell people what is in your heart,

you avoid your dreams and passions because you don’t feel like you are enough,

or you fear looking stupid.

but just like brushing your teeth, looking like a fool is just a moment, and one you will eventually forget.

but what would you rather do?

make an attempt and risk looking like a fool for a moment?

or be a real fool and never try at all?

would you rather your final moment be a reflection of a life well lived?

or a moment of regret for lacking the courage to live a life you wanted to live?

David Lynch made a few movies no one appreciated,

but some of his works will be in the filmmaking hall of fame forever.

however, i don’t think he really cared about any of that. I think he just enjoyed making movies.

for 79 years, he squeezed as much juice out of the moments he was given, maybe he was not even aware of it.

but i think he lived HIS life the best he possibly could

so why don’t you?

- vessal