Fatal Life

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When someone refers to an ailment or physical condition as ‘fatal’ it sets me thinking with a quizzical smile that what is fatal after all. Dictionary definition says fatal is something that causes death (for human and animal species that is). But do only the living die or even the inanimate perish! But let’s not get too philosophical here lest we become as incomprehensible as the immortal book by Sartre ‘Being and Nothingness’, which no one in the world in their right mind has read in totality though most claim they have, and those very few who did hadn’t a clue what the book was trying to summarize. I know this for a fact because I am one of those very few who did (I am most certainly never in my right mind). Go figure.


Now coming back to the main point. What is fatal and should we be afraid or wary of it. According to me Life itself is a fatal condition of existence. When life begins, it starts killing us at the rate of 24hrs per day. Not faster or slower. It maintains this very steady monotonous speed. And this condition is irrespective to what we are engaged in, what is our gender, financial status, our origin, our nationality, academic excellence, our religious beliefs and anything else at all.


The fatal condition that we so fondly call Life and Living is totally objective and is sure to happen. In fact it is the only sure thing that’s going to happen and the only future that anyone can predict with full certainty. In that way we all can be a fortune/future telling soothsayer. So I say to everyone, whom I meet or even those I don’t – hey, you know what, there’s one thing I can say about your future for sure, you are going to die, can’t say when or how or where but you will for sure. Because my friend you are fatal.


No wonder I am often called the ‘Prophet of Doom’.


On top of a ‘fatal’ life, a condition which even the healthiest of us have including yours truly, when someone tries to gain brownie points by adding tad emotionally that they have a fatal ailment/condition and therefore it is their rightful claim to be treated with extra kindness, empathy and consideration then I am rather surprised at their and of other’s approach to the entire melodrama.


If we must treat people with kindness and empathy and consideration then please do it for all without difference. Just because someone is going to die from cancer/covid/MS shouldn’t make them privy to extra dollops of kindness.


Let that be the new year resolution, if we must have one, that to treat all living and non living beings with equal kindness, empathy and consideration. Everyone is having a bad day, no matter how amazing they look, so let us add a drop of smile, a warm embrace or just a random act of kindness into everyone’s life. And if there’s nothing nice that we can do (this is nearly impossible) for others then please don’t do anything at all. Do not shower someone or something with your anger, pain and miseries, jealousies or so called fatal flaws.


Hey, we all are dying. Can we die with dignity and happiness and kindness! Can we all uplift those that are downtrodden. Can we help those who are trying to help themselves. Can we be the messenger of life for those who are dying!


Life is certainly fatal but not till we die. So let us live this fatal life till we actually die.



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