For as long as I can remember, I have liked History. So much, in fact, that I at one time entertained the thoughts of getting a degree in History and either working for the Library of Congress, or finding a nice, quiet, conservative college campus somewhere in the mountains (I would prefer the Rocky Mountains) to teach History.
I started college working on three majors: Information Technologies (as I also love computers), History, and Political Science. Needless to say after the first two semesters, I came to a cross road of decision; stop killing myself with credit overload, save money, graduate sooner, and go for something that will make me money OR focus on something I had a true passion for, that wouldn’t make me a lot of money, but that I could immerse myself in gladly for the rest of my life…or until dementia sets in, whichever comes first. Needless to say, I choose the money… [Break to listen to B.O.C. on the Internet radio.]
So, here I am few lustrums later working in I.T. It’s been good to me, but I still dream of history… Which brings me to my point…
I have always been drawn to stories of immortality, or time travel, or being something with a much, much longer life span than what is normal for the human race. This explains why I enjoy stories by Poul Anderson, H. G. Wells, and Roger Zelazny.
Time travel (H. G. Wells) would at least offer me the opportunity to see history like no one else has, but for a finite time. Likewise, a much longer life span (Roger Zelazny) like an Amberite would allow me not only to see history, but to create and recreate it by traversing to different shadows of reality. But again, for a finite time. Immortality however, (Poul Anderson) as found in “The Boat Of A Million Years” could be the most fascinating option. These people were immortal and could live thousands and thousands of years. However, the immortality came with a twist… These people could be killed if hurt badly enough. Were they lucky enough, however, life went on and on and on…
But what if I had the opportunity to become immortal, and very difficult to kill… In fact, what if I had to kill to survive, to maintain my immortality… Yeah… Good old vampire type immortality…
Either way, after a few hundred years, or a few thousand years, of existence, what would I be? Would my memories fade over time even as they do as we live our 70, 80, 90 years as human mortals? Would I still find things in the world that were new and exciting? People? Philosophies? What place would I have in the world? Would I still be human? Would I still be sane? Would I still feel for others? Love them? Care about them? After all of the loss, the separation over time, would I still care to have relationships? Would my knowledge and experiences of all the centuries be truly useful? Would I still be young, or would I feel extremely old, tired, and useless?
What price would I pay eventually for immortality? Or what price might the world pay for my existence?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
um, what price would you pay for immortality? i've been thinking about vampires and elves for as long as i can remember. i even did some more-than-in-passing thinking about necromancy and lichhood... in the end i think i prefer the idea of being wormbait to being a lich.
you raise good questions about what immortality might be like: how it may be heavenly but then again it may be hellish. what if your identity as an immortal was known to society, how would they treat you: with respect and reverence or with fear, jealousy, and hatred? surely a being that could live for a long time would have a different way of thinking, of seeing, or reacting to everything. how long would it take you to let go of mortal thinking and truly think like an immortal?
Connor MacLeod had the right idea, although he wasn't able to stay incognito once the fine representatives of the NYPD were on the case.
It's hard to imagine what one might do to be immortal. And once immortal, what you would try to accomplish with your immortality...
The question of everyone knowing you are immortal is an interesting one. As 'aboynamedjimmy' pointed out, Connor did have a great idea but eventually technology being used by people with questions caught up with him... (Side Note: Remember, abnj, There Can Be Only One! And I am wearing my long dress coat today...) Anderson covered this issue well in his book...
One would also hope that you would start thinking a different way in order to cope with being an immortal. But what if you couldn't? I remember reading a story about a very old couple in Japan... Married for 90 years, or a little longer... Each of them in their 100 + teens (or one of them was about to hit 110?) Anyway, when the old man was asked about being so old, he thought it was great and he was enjoying it. When the old woman was asked, she indicated she hated it... She had seen everything already and there was no joy for her except to wait to die.
I tend to think you would let go, you would change your thinking and adjust... But there are so many questions...
Post a Comment