IMMORTAL BOREDOM

In the book, Immortal Beauty, the main characters drink from an ancient well buried underneath this magnificent house in the heart of Paris. This water grants them immortality as long as they continue to drink from it. The idea of immortality sounds great in theory and we as a species have been obsessed with the idea since memory began. All the popular vampire stories are filled with this theme and culturally it is a very hot topic. The real question for me is if I were offered such a thing, would I accept it? Life seems long enough as it is and it seems to have a function with birth, growth, and the inevitable death.  Why are we so frightened of the inevitable? Why can’t we just accept that this is the way it is? Science is frantically trying to stop the clock and billions of dollars are being spent on anti-aging technologies based on our fear. Whatever happened to aging gracefully? Our modern western world is full of women past forty who are dressing like eighteen year olds with long hair extensions and skin tight jeans. One friend of mine calls these women Decepticons. From the back you think you are approaching a lovely young lady and when they turn around you see what they really are. Why are we trying to deceive each other? Why do we lie about our age? If I remember correctly I didn’t know anything when I was young. I was full of vim and vigor and crazy dreams but utterly lacking in the wisdom that only comes from living.

     The reality of living forever seems to me a horror. There are times when I think that I have lived too long already and cannot imagine thirty or forty more years on top of the life I’ve already lived. Humans are living longer than ever before and I see so many people who retire from work and simultaneously they retire from life. They sit in their comfy chairs and watch their big flat screen imitations of life. If we were to live forever would we indeed become living statues that look from afar or would we be able to stay engaged in the daily tasks of life? Freud tells us that the goal of all life is death. It is what we came here to do. Lana del Rey tells us we were born to die. If we took this away, would we still remain human or would our humanity slip away from us as the years roll by? All of these questions are addressed in my book as I find myself musing on such things more than I would like to admit. The evil Celine has been alive for so long that there is barely anything human left to her. She views us mere mortals as playthings or even pets. For me, the beauty of life comes from the very idea that it is a fleeting experience. This gives my life meaning like nothing else can. I am here for the moment and it is important to me to fill this moment with as much life as possible, for I know this too shall pass. Today I suffered from an attack of severe boredom and wondered what that would be  like if I truly was immortal. It was a mortal nightmare imagining being trapped in this body with this mind and bored eternally. The most exciting thing about this mortal coil is that it is a fast and furious ride in the land of time. Enjoy your time here my beautiful immortals and fill each day with the most exciting things you can imagine, for this too shall pass.