“DJ Josh…are you ever scared of dying?”
“What? Uh, yeah…?”
I looked up from the board. The girls were partying hard, dancing to the rap beats on the hotel dance floor. My young friend, ten years old, spiffy in his three piece navy suit, waited for my answer to this doozy of a question. I was DJing a Sweet 16 birthday party, and he was hanging out in the booth with me. (His mom is involved with some DC area events I work, and he’s become a trusted helper over the past few years.)
“Yeah man, it totally bums me out. Does it you?”
“What?” (It was hard to hear over the din.)
“DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL BAD?”
“Oh…yeah.”
“Me too. But a cool thing to think of is…” We had a discussion about limitations. What if we lived forever? I could just pour water over my DJ board, ruin the party, walk away, and not care. “But ___ only has one sixteenth birthday, right? So it’s gotta matter. It sharpens us.”
“I like pushing my limits - like running up walls like…what’s that called?” “Parkour?” “Yeah, that!” We talked strength training, and how working with those limits make you better.
Fade the next track, drop the beat, talk life. Then there was the topic of career, dreams, and aiming high. But that’s for another blog. Limits seem a good topic for Monday.
Make it count!
Josh
Good response Josh. Keep the young asking questions and seeking answers to what is over the horizon.
Death is a nature driven thing same as the second law of thermodynamics, passage of time, s__t running down hill, black holes suck, etc.
But the other topic to follow a subject like death is TAXES and an appropriate time of the year (April in the USA too). Are you scared of death? Hell yes, so we live our lives and make the most of what we honestly can! Are you scared of taxes? Hell yes, so we live our lives and make the most of what we honestly can!
Taxes are controlled by the government and will be weaponized to be used against those who are successful, while rewarding (enslaving) those the politicians want votes from. On the other hand, nature is nature and the grizzly bear will eat you because you threatened its young or, it was hungry or, both The government taxes because it can and knows how to spend your money better than you do for their own gain, taking and not earning. It is okay to fear what you cannot control, but know it is the control others, who have only their self-interest, seek to have over YOU which does the most harm. Almost like taxes are death, right? Take (tax) from the living and squander the spoils in chaos. At least a grizzly bear will not waste a good source of food.
Keep on being a DJ, doing what you do and talking to young people. I'll try to focus on happier things , if I can, in retirement! Now I have to get my federal and state tax withholding in order for the 2022 tax season a year from now. UGH! Yes, I am scared!