7000 days – Essays On One Man’s Short Life
When measured in days, a human life seems poorly short. If you live 75 years, you’ll breathe – and possibly be conscious – for only 27,375 days.
In this time you’ll learn to walk, talk, love, hope, regret, pine and wonder. You’ll be educated, meet the loves of your life, possibly have a family, and educate them. You’ll mould a career (maybe several), perhaps travel the world, make wonderful discoveries or create truly wondrous art. Some human monsters have been known to dispatch millions of their fellow humans in far less than 27,000 days . . .
But whatever you do, whatever you achieve, or whatever you fail to finish, rest assured you’re here for a painfully short time.
While I have already lived more than 19,000 days, I have decided to concentrate on my first 7000. And no matter how ordinary, bring them – along with the stories told to me during those days and the family history I believe helped deliver me to where I stand today – to some position of importance in the scheme of things.
Many autobiographies are by important people. Mine’s not. Many are chronological series of dried and starchy facts, figures and events. Mine’s not. Many try to tell a complete story. Mine doesn’t.
Instead, mine’s simply a series of recollections, starting with my birth and ending shortly after I lost my virginity, aged 19 . . . A series of short essays more designed to create a life quilt, o to add colour where appropriate or remembered . . .
In this time you’ll learn to walk, talk, love, hope, regret, pine and wonder. You’ll be educated, meet the loves of your life, possibly have a family, and educate them. You’ll mould a career (maybe several), perhaps travel the world, make wonderful discoveries or create truly wondrous art. Some human monsters have been known to dispatch millions of their fellow humans in far less than 27,000 days . . .
But whatever you do, whatever you achieve, or whatever you fail to finish, rest assured you’re here for a painfully short time.
While I have already lived more than 19,000 days, I have decided to concentrate on my first 7000. And no matter how ordinary, bring them – along with the stories told to me during those days and the family history I believe helped deliver me to where I stand today – to some position of importance in the scheme of things.
Many autobiographies are by important people. Mine’s not. Many are chronological series of dried and starchy facts, figures and events. Mine’s not. Many try to tell a complete story. Mine doesn’t.
Instead, mine’s simply a series of recollections, starting with my birth and ending shortly after I lost my virginity, aged 19 . . . A series of short essays more designed to create a life quilt, o to add colour where appropriate or remembered . . .
posted by Pete Heininger at 8:38 PM
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