Mac Miller Death Asks Questions Internally | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

If You Knew You'd Be Dead By 26, Would You Live Your Life Any Differently?

The most important question any one of us could ever ask, especially us college kids.

41
If You Knew You'd Be Dead By 26, Would You Live Your Life Any Differently?

This year we experienced the passing away of two young iconic music legends of our time, Avicii and Mac Miller, both allegedly by overdose.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

There are many questions we can ask ourselves contemplating the death of our stars, but my roommate asked the question that grasped my attention the most.

As I arrived back home from a morning gym session, my roommate says to me:

"If you knew you'd be dead by twenty-six, would you live your life any different?"

I responded without any hesitation whatsoever: "Of course I would."

But how would I live it differently?

Would I go to every party my liver could handle?

Would I visit my family and spend the rest of my life with them?

Would I rush to find a wife in order to procreate?

Would I call everyone I've ever known, and tell them I love them?

Would I call everyone I've ever wronged, and tell them I'm sorry?

Would I donate the rest of my life to serve humanity?

Would I go travel the world until the day I drop dead?


Photo by Simon Matzinger on Unsplash


Would I make my way to Africa and reside with an indigenous tribe in a village where tomorrow and yesterday are words that don't exist, and the only thing that matters is today and right now?

Or would I finish my college degree, find a job from nine to five, and forget that my expiration date is just around the corner?

I believe that the question my roommate asked is the most important question any one of us could ever ask, especially us college kids at this time of our life.

That is because we all have one thing in common: dying. We will all die someday. I can guarantee you that.

But I don't want this to be a sad post. Just because we will die one day, does not mean that we should live our lives frightened and reserved.

Instead, we should celebrate the very fact that we are alive right now. We should be thankful that we can experience this magical life as a human being.

Thinking about our inevitable death should make us live our lives in the way that we truly desire, free of what other people think about us, free of any fear that tries to steal our precious life from us.

The very fact that we will die should make us pursue our wildest dreams, live out our childhood fantasies, the date that person we've had a crush on since freshman year, abandon those habits that do not serve us and live a life true to ourselves.

Imagine if every morning when you woke up, you told yourself:

"What if today is my last day alive?"

How would you live your life? Compared to yesterday, what would you do differently? Compared to yesterday, what would you do the same?

I believe that we should all ask ourselves in sincere honesty the very same question that my roommate asked me because there is only one thing that I truly fear: as I die and look back at my life, would I pray to God for another chance at doing it all over again? Or would I be satisfied with how I lived my life, and say to myself as Cartman says as he floats in the river in South Park's Season 7 Episode 11: that was "TOTALLY" worth it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

186647
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

12631
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

456248
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25604
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments