If you had 24 hours to live...

Tobias Healing the Blindness of His Father by Gioachino Assereto

This week a classical question will be addressed: 

“If you had 24 hours to live, what would you do?”

I

If someone would reveal that I only have one day left to live, I imagine my first reaction (even if for one second) would be to panic. My second response would probably be to think about all the things I didn’t do, didn’t say; all the things I didn’t have the opportunity to acquire; all the places I didn’t have the chance to visit etc. My third reaction would possibly be to ask myself whether I had accomplished all that I had been sent for (either conscious or unconsciously).

Either way, the instinctive response (of a normal individual) would be to ask oneself complex questions, whose answers would take time to reproduce and the clock is ticking...

II

If a person would prophesy that I only have 1440 minutes left to breathe, I imagine that my first reaction (even if for one quick second) would be to panic. Then I would breath in and out three times (subtracting, thus, the minutes left to Be) and begin to think. My second response would probably be to recall all the things left undone, said and clarified; all the mistakes I didn’t have the opportunity to correct; all the butts I didn’t have time to kick; all the places I didn’t have the chance to visit etc. 

My third reaction would possibly be to consciously ask myself whether I had fulfilled my mission on earth.

Either way, the instinctive response (of a complex being) would be to observe one's attitude during its entire existence; quietly judge and condemn oneself while waiting for Death to collect its Soul.

III

If a human being would vaticinate that I only have 86,400 seconds to live, I imagine that my first reaction would be to panic. My second response would be to quickly rewind all my life and remember all the things I didn’t do or say; the people I loved; the time I wasted; the things I didn’t buy and the places I didn’t go to, only to reach the conclusion that I lack time to regret whatsoever: there’s a lot to be done.

In my quest to live to the utmost for the remaining seconds I begin shooting my own foot: I heartlessly tell the truth to people (after all who cares? I will die anyway); I set in motion little unreasonable vendette (while convincing myself that it is not revenge: it is only the result of action-reaction); I waste all my money on meaningless things (I earned it, so why take it to the grave?); I negatively surprise those who love me by being so ominous, so contemptuous, so dreadful. The clock ticks...the Scythe cuts me off, and my loved ones won’t remember all the good things about me, only the bad...

My three answers reflect the complexity behind many Humans Beings...but I am much more interested in what your answer to “If you had 24 hours to live, what would you do?” is.