When was the first time you really began thinking about your own mortality?

1. 90

   crankaliciousposted 12 years ago

   When was the first time you really began thinking about your own mortality?
   
   Was it a certain age? A certain life event like the death of a parent or friend? The birth of a child? I'm 45. I had a good friend commit suicide when I was 39. Still, I don't think I really thought about my own mortality then. A few days ago, a friend who I wasn't close to our anything, died in his sleep. Somehow I think it's affected me more than other, more personal events. I'd really like to hear from those both old, middle-aged, and younger.

   replyreport
2. 73

   frogyfishposted 12 years ago

   Perhaps my answer to your question could be considered unique, but I did begin to think of my mortality as a young child...probably began about nine years of age.  Our family was a religious, practicing, verbalizing family, and 'eternity' was a common topic in church services. As a result, I was commonly quite aware, and somewhat afraid also, that I would die young, or be 'left behind' when older. I have since resolved that question of  'Where will go when I die?" because of my faith in Jesus Christ.   I am sort of  middle-old, I think, to define your request.

   replyreport
3. 85

   twinstimes2posted 12 years ago

   I began thinking about my mortality before I had my first set of twins. I had a scheduled c-sxn and I was reminded to bring my living will, power of attorney, etc. I was excited about having a baby and never thought about the possible complications that could happen to ME in surgery. It hit me hard!

   replyreport
4. 68

   connorjposted 12 years ago

   I think (for me) it was when I was in a car accident at 17 years of age. I thought I could not die; yet although the accident was not serious for me or for anyone (thank God). I did begin to realize how vulnerable one could be. Shortly after my accident a friend was killed in a car accident. That impacted me significantly...

   replyreport
5. 0

   Larry Wallposted 12 years ago

   Men on my father's side of the family seldom make it to 70. My brother, father, and gradfater all died between the age of 62 and 64. I am 60. I have been aware of this family trait for decades. I do not dwell on it. I have just made sure that there is insurance for my wife if I live past 70 and I do my best to take care of myself.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Larry Wallposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The best advice I guess is to plan as if you will be gone tomorrow, but work hard to be around for a long, long time.

      replyreport
6. 81

   jbosh1972posted 12 years ago

   I am about 40 and I started thinking about my mortality at 1030 last night.

   replyreport
7. 72

   billd01603posted 12 years ago

   I'm 51 and I guess I started a few years ago when I began to realize I had less time left then I had already lived. Even if I live to 85, I'll only have 34 more years. I have found myself looking at the ages of people in the obituaries.

   replyreport
8. 81

   Rain Defenceposted 12 years ago

   When I was a child and I learned that you don't live forever and one day you die. I was probably less than 10. I remember it scaring me for a long time, although I got less and less bothered as time went on.
   The people that want to believe in religion and eternal life, well if it makes them feel better, then good for them, but personally the idea of being around forever, until the sun goes supernova and the earth dies and then just floating around in space until time stops existing, doesn't really hold much appeal.

   replyreport
9. 61

   MihaelaMariaposted 12 years ago

   My first thanatic thrills made their presence felt when my grandpa died. He was 70 I guess and I was 6. Something just went trough me and I couldn.t explain it to anyone. It seemed to be related ( I know this is going to sound funny) with the t.shirt print of a child who had the same age as I did. It was Bugs Bunny on that t.shirt, and somehow I had the impression I will never see that shirt again, as I will never see grandpa. I started wondering if I am real, if my parents didn.t left earth meanwhile.
   Then it was when I just finished 6th grade, when my mother suffered a surgery and she was on the edge of dying. Then I realized that everything is close at hand...

   replyreport
10. 59

    arafatboniposted 12 years ago

    when i was 21 then i began thinking about my own morality.

    replyreport
11. 95

    cperuzziposted 12 years ago

    Forty five is about right.
    
    It's when you start to see your parents or your friends' parents die and you start going to many funerals.  Although the first time I started thinking of my own mortality was when a good friend of mine who was hours younger than me died of breast cancer at age 37.
    
    Some people start thinking of their own mortality after a health scare.  When chest pains turn out to be gas.  That usually gets you to to eat better because you think you're going to die.
    
    You get to a point in your life where you think you're no longer young but you're not really old yet.  That gets you thinking on how many years can I count on living naturally.  It's a scary realization.
    
    That's usually when you check your life insurance and make contingencies.  You shouldn't, however, let it interfere with your actual living.

    replyreport
12. 60

    tammybarnetteposted 12 years ago

    I am 41 and I am thinking of this too much lately. My grandmother died right before thanksgiving and she was exactly 40 years my senior. Since then it seems so many icons of my day are passing away, I heard about Dick Clark yesterday and just started crying. I have been trying to write a hub about it tonight but it's depressing me so I have been looking at questions and others hubs instead, funny how I found this question.

    replyreport
13. 84

    Joyette Fabienposted 12 years ago

    The reality of death really hit me at thirty five when my favorite aunt died suddenly, then two days after her funeral my eldest sister also died suddenly. It came to me that death wasn't about other people; it was also about my family. The following year, when I was thirty six, my husband died of cancer. Ok. I sat up for real. Now this was about me directly. I went to a lawyer to prepare my will and ever since then, with every new death in the family, I see my own looming up any day. A few days ago I attended the funeral of a close friend and it came to me that the world seemed to be emptying steadily. True, it was also being replenished, but I do not know the new ones. Those whom I knew were going day by day. It was a sobering moment.

    replyreport
14. 0

    rmcleveposted 12 years ago

    I've struggled with an incapacitating fear of death since the age of 5. I used to wake up in the middle of the night from panic attacks about the unnameable "thought."
    
    I'm not really sure what started it all, but I did grow up in a military family and have had some weird experiences and reactions.
    
    Lately, it has been managed for the most part, but it is the single most influential factor in my entire life. Nothing motivates me like the fear of death and I think I am much different from most of my peers because of the sincerity of my feelings.

    replyreport
15. 61

    kaygibson757posted 12 years ago

    The first time I thought about my mortality was when I was a child, I got afraid and tried not to think of it. Then in my early 20's I realized that I was a sinner and in need of a Saviour.  It will be 34 years ago on April 29, I went church and heard for the first time a message on Hell, I saw myself a lost sinner, and that JESUS CHRIST died on the cross for my sins, Romans 10:9-11 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation;  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. I went down to an old fashion altar and ask the LORD JESUS, to forgive me of my sins, and come into my heart.  Today I no longer fear for my mortality.  I John 5:15 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

    replyreport
16. 60

    rebekah76posted 12 years ago

    I am 35, and the first time that I can remember thinking about my own mortality was when i had my son at age 21. I remember being scared to drive too fast, or do things that i previously wouldn't have thought twice about doing. I became scaringly aware of just how important it was for my son's sake that I remained here, to do the job that I had taken on, which was to raise him. It really made me reevaluate my personal choices and how they would effect him.

    replyreport
17. 84

    Lowdown0posted 10 years ago

    When I was about 11 years old I had the thought of nothingness, and this was a thought of my own mortality and state of being. When I wake up from naps sometimes I get the sense of my mortality.
    Here is an article I've written about this called: An Acute Sense of Our Mortality Creates Empathy
    http://thelowdown0.blogspot.com/2014/05 … eates.html

    replyreport