Seize The Day!!!

A lot of people like to give lip service to the title statement, but how many really follow through and lead a life based upon this very basic premise? Many? Some? Few? In my experience, not many at all. It takes a certain kind of rare life experience to motivate someone into living for the moment, seizing every second, and sucking the marrow out of life. Mayhap, I should explain further…

Approximately 8 years ago my thyroid decided, hey, lets just go off the rails and see how fast we can run. It slipped into overdrive and I lost weight rapidly. When I got bone thin and could barely walk, I finally gave into the idea of seeing a doctor. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I was given pills and told I must take the pills everyday, thus I needed to find a regular doctor. I did so and he recommended that I have my thyroid ablated(killed with radioactive Iodine) or removed through surgery. I chose the path of ablation, rather than the path of surgery and the risk of vocal cord damage.

A couple of years later, after several doctors and finding funding and a failed first attempt to kill it, we finally succeeded. I remember to this day the day it died. You see, when an organ dies like this, it is accompanied by a very strong feeling. It’s a feeling you are not likely going to get in many other ways. It is worse than fear or terror and even loneliness. It is worse, than despair, sadness, and even agony. I call this feeling DOOM. Funny, but that is exactly what the doctor called it when he asked me how I felt when it died. Doom is beyond normal feelings. It is life without hope. It is agony, fear, despair, and hopelessness all wrapped in one. Truthfully, that does not even begin to describe it and therein lies the rub. It has to be experienced to be understood.

This is the kind of rare life experience that motivates people to seize the day. It is a rare circumstance that forces you to realize your mortality and just how limited your days on this planet can be. Without having this kind of experience, it really does not seem as important to live the moment.

I used to procrastinate quite regularly, as I am sure a lot of people do. But since that feeling, I try to do at least one constructive thing everyday. I am not talking about doing the dishes or feeding the cat. I am speaking of creating something. A new photo, a photo trip, writing something, creating a song or at least a melody. I do this everyday. No exceptions! Even if my wife is home, I do this when she sleeps. Of course, every waking moment, when I feel well, I spend with her. Since my thyroid was ablated, I have had a lot of health issues, but I always strive to spend time with my wife and create.

You see one other thing happens when you wake up and realize your time is limited. You also find out what is really important in life. Not surprisingly, you discover that money and material possessions have no value in the big scheme of things. They cannot be taken with you into any imaginable afterlife. It is those intangible things that be come alive for you and worthy of spending your time on. The memories, the emotions, the dreams that can be taken with you.

To drive home this point, I am going to share a couple of photos of what is now the reality of where I live, and then I am going to share some photos of what once was. Understand, the beauty I share with you could not have been possible, if I would not have seized the day!

In the above photo is a fence around a school playground. Now you might not consider this much of a difference unless you knew that this is around the entire playground. Thus, it appears in the background of every photo I have taken there since. IMHO, it just ruins the peaceful ambience that once existed there. You will see it when you view the photos from before the fence was installed.

In this photo you can see what remains of a woodland tunnel. Nothing! It has been completely decimated as they make room for a new road coming through here. It the next set of photos you will see what this woodland tunnel looked like and what the play ground without the fence looked like.

(Click on each pic to see full sized)

I sure you can see how many amazing photos would have been lost had I wasted time. I grabbed them while I could and shared them with everyone. By seizing the day, you not only add to your life, you add to everyone’s life. Now I have here a small gallery of photos, that may never be duplicated and have encapsulated the memory of this small spot of earth, for all time. Not bad for doing nothing but living a life to the fullest!

Speaking of seizing the day, I must go seize this day. I hope this post has shown you the true value of living every moment. Take care and have an amazing day!

Axe(JB)