Hmmmmmmmm. Very, VERY interesting thread! A strange mixture of what I consider pathology and straight thinking. I'm way up there myself, so I guess it's pretty normal for me to think seriously about the end. By no means in a pathological way (I think). It's nice to be able to understand and accept one's mortality as something as normal as waking up or going to sleep. Not scary. Just natural. The end of the game of musical chairs. The music stops. The End. I don't sit around thinking about it every day.

I think that all of us, when contemplating our own mortality, would do well to work at that kind of mindset, accepting, not frightened, relaxed, not tensely anxious. Such a mindset can be the basis for the most intense enjoyment of all that life still has to offer even to us seniors. It doesn't have to be a preoccupation, by any means. One shouldn't brood about it.

Brooding. That's moving off into the pathological, I think. BeeBizzy says she feels her life is over at 38. I don't think anyone ought to be even considering their own mortality at 38. Sixty, maybe. Sixty-five, sure. 38? No way! 38 is ridiculously young, with an enchantingly long future ahead! And (to me, at least) I think several of Venus' ideas regarding the end of life are distinctly morbid for her age. Though I have to admit that the cultures of the area of the world Venus comes from seem traditionally rather more morbid than many other places. There was a reason Kafka was born and raised in Prague! Take good care, all!