How I face imminent death...

How I face imminent death…

…And what I would have written on my epitaph…

The doctors give me three months. I close my eyes and pretend that it isn’t true…  Am I really dying today? And I get all weepy and a tad dramatic…like in the movies (they have it right, right?) Say my goodbyes…A loved one weeps. Tears roll. Is that what life is about when you know the time is nigh? I’m gasping for breath. Every breath is my soul’s resistance to death. It wants to live. Heck, I want to live. I’m not done, yet? I’m going ere I even started! I’m just 48 years of age. I have no legacy to leave behind to my daughter or a kind word to the rest of the family. Hang on a second… that’s in the movies, or the tele. Reality bites. Not that many would care…Some more tears. No one to miss me ere I am gone…Tsk, tsk!

Well, that is one part of the story. True, I can wallow in self-pity or…

…defy my imminent mortality.

So, I face career death in three months. What I didn’t tell you is that I could have a glorious three months…

… of a career worth talking about.

And so I shook myself off the tears and challenged myself to challenge my future. But not without some bitterness. (Dear, dear!)

And I’d like to share this with you, so you know, that no matter how good you are, you are welcome only so long as you perform, your past successes notwithstanding. You and I have heard this before, but I have experienced it first hand and so bitterness abounds… (Tsk, tsk)

But that could be the subject matter of another post…(Hmm…)

Miserable as I was, I wondered, how could I make maximum use of the short time-span prior to my professional death?  

And here is what I came up with. 

You might think I am crazy. I thought I was taking full advantage of my luck to drive more luck that would last a life-time.

 And what would that be?

 Take a deep breath…

I wanted to write 10-15 ads per day. Not award-winning great ads, but good enough. Truth be told: I didn’t have the numbers right. I worked the first day of the rest of my life and then Kaisen took over. I figured on a number, sometimes exceeding expectations, sometimes disappointing myself and doing it over.

A curious sense of satisfaction came over me as I came to realize a crazy plan. 

I’m not done yet. Barely started, to be honest with you. At the time of writing this piece, I have completed writing the headlines for all the clients of an agency, give or take a couple. And am on to the next. Every day is a challenge though not an exercise in futility.

I for one am wringing my hands nervously. Three months of blank pages for me to write on or off as a smashing success or a failure. I’d like to extend my hand to you to share my glory…

Will you join me in my happiness should I succeed and not ridicule me were I to fail?

The idea is crazy but the intent good, yes?

What do you think? If I were to succeed, do you think I would have challenged my mortality?

How would you remember me: as the one who took advantage of her luck or the crazy one who defied mortality?

Do write your views in the space below…