Hypothetical

65rosessamurai · Jul 24, 2007

With having a little bit of time to think about this, my answer seems to be the same as I thought it was earlier, I just softened it a little.
In regards to "dying for someone", it would all depend on the circumstances, and whether actually "dying" for them would still protect them in the future (This still remains the fact that it is for a loved one). Perhaps in this case it would more like saying I'd put myself in harms way to protect the ones I love, but again, it all depends on the circumstances. I don't think I'd ever be asked to donate a kidney, or something where I'd still have one organ left, but if it were the situation where giving blood to save the life of a loved one would risk my life, I may do it, anyway. If some burglar, or "threat" entered my domain and put a life-threatening situation in front of me, I'd put myself in "harm's way", but wouldn't let myself be the one getting killed over it if I could help it.
A synopsis of an old quote from General MacArthur, "Don't die for your country, let the 'enemy' die for theirs" would be apropriate for someone threatening you or your loved one's life.
In regards to "living for someone", I would say no I wouldn't, because I would rather live on my own terms, for my ownself, and not feel burdened by the thought of whether my way of living would satisfy their "soul". I've known many loved ones who've passed before me, some were very sad to see go, some didn't have too much effect on me, personally. The ones that were very sad to see go, I never thought to "live for them", but rather hope they would "look over me" as I live on.

65rosessamurai · Jul 24, 2007

With having a little bit of time to think about this, my answer seems to be the same as I thought it was earlier, I just softened it a little.
In regards to "dying for someone", it would all depend on the circumstances, and whether actually "dying" for them would still protect them in the future (This still remains the fact that it is for a loved one). Perhaps in this case it would more like saying I'd put myself in harms way to protect the ones I love, but again, it all depends on the circumstances. I don't think I'd ever be asked to donate a kidney, or something where I'd still have one organ left, but if it were the situation where giving blood to save the life of a loved one would risk my life, I may do it, anyway. If some burglar, or "threat" entered my domain and put a life-threatening situation in front of me, I'd put myself in "harm's way", but wouldn't let myself be the one getting killed over it if I could help it.
A synopsis of an old quote from General MacArthur, "Don't die for your country, let the 'enemy' die for theirs" would be apropriate for someone threatening you or your loved one's life.
In regards to "living for someone", I would say no I wouldn't, because I would rather live on my own terms, for my ownself, and not feel burdened by the thought of whether my way of living would satisfy their "soul". I've known many loved ones who've passed before me, some were very sad to see go, some didn't have too much effect on me, personally. The ones that were very sad to see go, I never thought to "live for them", but rather hope they would "look over me" as I live on.

65rosessamurai · Jul 24, 2007

With having a little bit of time to think about this, my answer seems to be the same as I thought it was earlier, I just softened it a little.
In regards to "dying for someone", it would all depend on the circumstances, and whether actually "dying" for them would still protect them in the future (This still remains the fact that it is for a loved one). Perhaps in this case it would more like saying I'd put myself in harms way to protect the ones I love, but again, it all depends on the circumstances. I don't think I'd ever be asked to donate a kidney, or something where I'd still have one organ left, but if it were the situation where giving blood to save the life of a loved one would risk my life, I may do it, anyway. If some burglar, or "threat" entered my domain and put a life-threatening situation in front of me, I'd put myself in "harm's way", but wouldn't let myself be the one getting killed over it if I could help it.
A synopsis of an old quote from General MacArthur, "Don't die for your country, let the 'enemy' die for theirs" would be apropriate for someone threatening you or your loved one's life.
In regards to "living for someone", I would say no I wouldn't, because I would rather live on my own terms, for my ownself, and not feel burdened by the thought of whether my way of living would satisfy their "soul". I've known many loved ones who've passed before me, some were very sad to see go, some didn't have too much effect on me, personally. The ones that were very sad to see go, I never thought to "live for them", but rather hope they would "look over me" as I live on.

kayleesgrandma · Jul 24, 2007

"As for living for someone who is dead. I have done this in a way since I was 8 to now. " Reminds me of littledebbie and her "dead girl walking" phrase! Thank you for fighting--jade, brandon, light, lindsey--lilttledebbie---and all of you, transplant or no transplant--you all have your own way of fighting. I can only stand at the wayside, cheering you on, trying to give you a shoulder up when you need it, and giving a loud, and distinctly unladylike whistle when you pull yourself up once again. I would hope that I would do all I could to help someone--but what makes a person do that--take the bullet, dive into the cold waters,push someone out ot the way of a car...?

Thank you for your "shoe story", too--I think debbie would've been proud of you--AND loved the shoes!

kayleesgrandma · Jul 24, 2007

"As for living for someone who is dead. I have done this in a way since I was 8 to now. " Reminds me of littledebbie and her "dead girl walking" phrase! Thank you for fighting--jade, brandon, light, lindsey--lilttledebbie---and all of you, transplant or no transplant--you all have your own way of fighting. I can only stand at the wayside, cheering you on, trying to give you a shoulder up when you need it, and giving a loud, and distinctly unladylike whistle when you pull yourself up once again. I would hope that I would do all I could to help someone--but what makes a person do that--take the bullet, dive into the cold waters,push someone out ot the way of a car...?

Thank you for your "shoe story", too--I think debbie would've been proud of you--AND loved the shoes!

kayleesgrandma · Jul 24, 2007

"As for living for someone who is dead. I have done this in a way since I was 8 to now. " Reminds me of littledebbie and her "dead girl walking" phrase! Thank you for fighting--jade, brandon, light, lindsey--lilttledebbie---and all of you, transplant or no transplant--you all have your own way of fighting. I can only stand at the wayside, cheering you on, trying to give you a shoulder up when you need it, and giving a loud, and distinctly unladylike whistle when you pull yourself up once again. I would hope that I would do all I could to help someone--but what makes a person do that--take the bullet, dive into the cold waters,push someone out ot the way of a car...?

Thank you for your "shoe story", too--I think debbie would've been proud of you--AND loved the shoes!

kayleesgrandma · Jul 24, 2007

"As for living for someone who is dead. I have done this in a way since I was 8 to now. " Reminds me of littledebbie and her "dead girl walking" phrase! Thank you for fighting--jade, brandon, light, lindsey--lilttledebbie---and all of you, transplant or no transplant--you all have your own way of fighting. I can only stand at the wayside, cheering you on, trying to give you a shoulder up when you need it, and giving a loud, and distinctly unladylike whistle when you pull yourself up once again. I would hope that I would do all I could to help someone--but what makes a person do that--take the bullet, dive into the cold waters,push someone out ot the way of a car...?

Thank you for your "shoe story", too--I think debbie would've been proud of you--AND loved the shoes!

kayleesgrandma · Jul 24, 2007

"As for living for someone who is dead. I have done this in a way since I was 8 to now. " Reminds me of littledebbie and her "dead girl walking" phrase! Thank you for fighting--jade, brandon, light, lindsey--lilttledebbie---and all of you, transplant or no transplant--you all have your own way of fighting. I can only stand at the wayside, cheering you on, trying to give you a shoulder up when you need it, and giving a loud, and distinctly unladylike whistle when you pull yourself up once again. I would hope that I would do all I could to help someone--but what makes a person do that--take the bullet, dive into the cold waters,push someone out ot the way of a car...?

Thank you for your "shoe story", too--I think debbie would've been proud of you--AND loved the shoes!

Lance2020x · Jul 24, 2007

This is a very deep post, and I think there are many deeper things that can be read into this thread, kudos.

I think that, in many ways the thought of 'Martyrdom' is often a way out when it really comes down to it. When I was younger, more dramatic and farcical (aka, depressed, suicidal and wanting attention) I would daydream about some chance to be a hero by trading my life for someone I cared about, looking back it's quite obvious that when you want to die anyway (as I did) giving your life for something is not very noble, it's just a desire for attention.

I've been reading the new Harry Potter book (yes yes I know, this is a cheesy reference, but bare with me)(I'll leave names out, but if you're a hardcore fan [like me] and you haven't read the book yet, maybe you should skip this) There's a part in the new book where one of the characters who has had this huge curse on his life since childhood, his lover finally convinces him to marry her, though he is very afraid of the kind of life she would have to live being married to a man who has this horrible problem. Well it comes to a point in the book where he offers himself up for this very dangerous mission, and once some digging is done they discover that his wife has just become pregnant, and he is alienating his wife because he thinks that the wife and child will be better off without him, due to this curse he has endured throughout his life. One of the characters stands up and STRONGLY rebukes him, accusing him of wanting to become a martyr because he's running away from his wife and child, and allowing his cowardice to take control instead of giving his wife and unborn baby a choice at having a father.

This part of the book really was powerful. I think most people would read this and say "Wow, what a vexing situation." But those of us who have been born or grown up "cursed" (just using it as an expression to connect with what I just said), it really has deeper meaning.

So, my point in all of this is it depends on what you are dying for? Many people look at martyrdom, for any reason, jumping in front of a bus for a child, dying in Africa on a missions trip, what ever- as such a noble feat, and by all means I believe it usually is.
But for the sake of intellectual conversation I would have to ask those people throwing themselves into a dangerous place "Are you risking everything you have for the right reasons? Or are you running away from something? Are you sure you aren't looking at martyrdom as a celebrated, noble escape as I did at the age of 15, lying in bed imagining all the ways I could escape my mortal coil in some noble, remembered way?"
So like Brandon said, the CHANCES of ever being faced with that are VERY slim, so the question, I suppose, is are you living your life in martyrdom? The job you are working in, are you calling it noble because you are making money, but truly you are running away from your true desire out of fear of failure? Are you lying to a friend or loved one because you are afraid, coming up with some excuse like "They're better off not knowing" or "It's their fault, I called them last", thinking that you are being noble to yourself, but really being stubborn or working in fear?

To answer your other question, "Would you LIVE for a deceased loved one?"
I've never had anyone really close to me die, so obviously no. But I would have to say, why aren't we living for our LIVE loved ones? When we get tired, don't we say "There are so many others worse off that me!" I know that one of the reasons I'm alive today is that my brother has CF as well. I don't know what would happen to him if I died, or to me if he died, I think it would break something inside of us. NOT just because he's my brother and best friend, but because, though we deal with CF in COMPLETELY different ways emotionally, we do both have the same disease, and we are both fighting against the same thing.
So I feel responsible to fight for those who have died, those who are living, and those who are yet to come.

Lance2020x · Jul 24, 2007

This is a very deep post, and I think there are many deeper things that can be read into this thread, kudos.

I think that, in many ways the thought of 'Martyrdom' is often a way out when it really comes down to it. When I was younger, more dramatic and farcical (aka, depressed, suicidal and wanting attention) I would daydream about some chance to be a hero by trading my life for someone I cared about, looking back it's quite obvious that when you want to die anyway (as I did) giving your life for something is not very noble, it's just a desire for attention.

I've been reading the new Harry Potter book (yes yes I know, this is a cheesy reference, but bare with me)(I'll leave names out, but if you're a hardcore fan [like me] and you haven't read the book yet, maybe you should skip this) There's a part in the new book where one of the characters who has had this huge curse on his life since childhood, his lover finally convinces him to marry her, though he is very afraid of the kind of life she would have to live being married to a man who has this horrible problem. Well it comes to a point in the book where he offers himself up for this very dangerous mission, and once some digging is done they discover that his wife has just become pregnant, and he is alienating his wife because he thinks that the wife and child will be better off without him, due to this curse he has endured throughout his life. One of the characters stands up and STRONGLY rebukes him, accusing him of wanting to become a martyr because he's running away from his wife and child, and allowing his cowardice to take control instead of giving his wife and unborn baby a choice at having a father.

This part of the book really was powerful. I think most people would read this and say "Wow, what a vexing situation." But those of us who have been born or grown up "cursed" (just using it as an expression to connect with what I just said), it really has deeper meaning.

So, my point in all of this is it depends on what you are dying for? Many people look at martyrdom, for any reason, jumping in front of a bus for a child, dying in Africa on a missions trip, what ever- as such a noble feat, and by all means I believe it usually is.
But for the sake of intellectual conversation I would have to ask those people throwing themselves into a dangerous place "Are you risking everything you have for the right reasons? Or are you running away from something? Are you sure you aren't looking at martyrdom as a celebrated, noble escape as I did at the age of 15, lying in bed imagining all the ways I could escape my mortal coil in some noble, remembered way?"
So like Brandon said, the CHANCES of ever being faced with that are VERY slim, so the question, I suppose, is are you living your life in martyrdom? The job you are working in, are you calling it noble because you are making money, but truly you are running away from your true desire out of fear of failure? Are you lying to a friend or loved one because you are afraid, coming up with some excuse like "They're better off not knowing" or "It's their fault, I called them last", thinking that you are being noble to yourself, but really being stubborn or working in fear?

To answer your other question, "Would you LIVE for a deceased loved one?"
I've never had anyone really close to me die, so obviously no. But I would have to say, why aren't we living for our LIVE loved ones? When we get tired, don't we say "There are so many others worse off that me!" I know that one of the reasons I'm alive today is that my brother has CF as well. I don't know what would happen to him if I died, or to me if he died, I think it would break something inside of us. NOT just because he's my brother and best friend, but because, though we deal with CF in COMPLETELY different ways emotionally, we do both have the same disease, and we are both fighting against the same thing.
So I feel responsible to fight for those who have died, those who are living, and those who are yet to come.

Lance2020x · Jul 24, 2007

This is a very deep post, and I think there are many deeper things that can be read into this thread, kudos.

I think that, in many ways the thought of 'Martyrdom' is often a way out when it really comes down to it. When I was younger, more dramatic and farcical (aka, depressed, suicidal and wanting attention) I would daydream about some chance to be a hero by trading my life for someone I cared about, looking back it's quite obvious that when you want to die anyway (as I did) giving your life for something is not very noble, it's just a desire for attention.

I've been reading the new Harry Potter book (yes yes I know, this is a cheesy reference, but bare with me)(I'll leave names out, but if you're a hardcore fan [like me] and you haven't read the book yet, maybe you should skip this) There's a part in the new book where one of the characters who has had this huge curse on his life since childhood, his lover finally convinces him to marry her, though he is very afraid of the kind of life she would have to live being married to a man who has this horrible problem. Well it comes to a point in the book where he offers himself up for this very dangerous mission, and once some digging is done they discover that his wife has just become pregnant, and he is alienating his wife because he thinks that the wife and child will be better off without him, due to this curse he has endured throughout his life. One of the characters stands up and STRONGLY rebukes him, accusing him of wanting to become a martyr because he's running away from his wife and child, and allowing his cowardice to take control instead of giving his wife and unborn baby a choice at having a father.

This part of the book really was powerful. I think most people would read this and say "Wow, what a vexing situation." But those of us who have been born or grown up "cursed" (just using it as an expression to connect with what I just said), it really has deeper meaning.

So, my point in all of this is it depends on what you are dying for? Many people look at martyrdom, for any reason, jumping in front of a bus for a child, dying in Africa on a missions trip, what ever- as such a noble feat, and by all means I believe it usually is.
But for the sake of intellectual conversation I would have to ask those people throwing themselves into a dangerous place "Are you risking everything you have for the right reasons? Or are you running away from something? Are you sure you aren't looking at martyrdom as a celebrated, noble escape as I did at the age of 15, lying in bed imagining all the ways I could escape my mortal coil in some noble, remembered way?"
So like Brandon said, the CHANCES of ever being faced with that are VERY slim, so the question, I suppose, is are you living your life in martyrdom? The job you are working in, are you calling it noble because you are making money, but truly you are running away from your true desire out of fear of failure? Are you lying to a friend or loved one because you are afraid, coming up with some excuse like "They're better off not knowing" or "It's their fault, I called them last", thinking that you are being noble to yourself, but really being stubborn or working in fear?

To answer your other question, "Would you LIVE for a deceased loved one?"
I've never had anyone really close to me die, so obviously no. But I would have to say, why aren't we living for our LIVE loved ones? When we get tired, don't we say "There are so many others worse off that me!" I know that one of the reasons I'm alive today is that my brother has CF as well. I don't know what would happen to him if I died, or to me if he died, I think it would break something inside of us. NOT just because he's my brother and best friend, but because, though we deal with CF in COMPLETELY different ways emotionally, we do both have the same disease, and we are both fighting against the same thing.
So I feel responsible to fight for those who have died, those who are living, and those who are yet to come.

Lance2020x · Jul 24, 2007

This is a very deep post, and I think there are many deeper things that can be read into this thread, kudos.

I think that, in many ways the thought of 'Martyrdom' is often a way out when it really comes down to it. When I was younger, more dramatic and farcical (aka, depressed, suicidal and wanting attention) I would daydream about some chance to be a hero by trading my life for someone I cared about, looking back it's quite obvious that when you want to die anyway (as I did) giving your life for something is not very noble, it's just a desire for attention.

I've been reading the new Harry Potter book (yes yes I know, this is a cheesy reference, but bare with me)(I'll leave names out, but if you're a hardcore fan [like me] and you haven't read the book yet, maybe you should skip this) There's a part in the new book where one of the characters who has had this huge curse on his life since childhood, his lover finally convinces him to marry her, though he is very afraid of the kind of life she would have to live being married to a man who has this horrible problem. Well it comes to a point in the book where he offers himself up for this very dangerous mission, and once some digging is done they discover that his wife has just become pregnant, and he is alienating his wife because he thinks that the wife and child will be better off without him, due to this curse he has endured throughout his life. One of the characters stands up and STRONGLY rebukes him, accusing him of wanting to become a martyr because he's running away from his wife and child, and allowing his cowardice to take control instead of giving his wife and unborn baby a choice at having a father.

This part of the book really was powerful. I think most people would read this and say "Wow, what a vexing situation." But those of us who have been born or grown up "cursed" (just using it as an expression to connect with what I just said), it really has deeper meaning.

So, my point in all of this is it depends on what you are dying for? Many people look at martyrdom, for any reason, jumping in front of a bus for a child, dying in Africa on a missions trip, what ever- as such a noble feat, and by all means I believe it usually is.
But for the sake of intellectual conversation I would have to ask those people throwing themselves into a dangerous place "Are you risking everything you have for the right reasons? Or are you running away from something? Are you sure you aren't looking at martyrdom as a celebrated, noble escape as I did at the age of 15, lying in bed imagining all the ways I could escape my mortal coil in some noble, remembered way?"
So like Brandon said, the CHANCES of ever being faced with that are VERY slim, so the question, I suppose, is are you living your life in martyrdom? The job you are working in, are you calling it noble because you are making money, but truly you are running away from your true desire out of fear of failure? Are you lying to a friend or loved one because you are afraid, coming up with some excuse like "They're better off not knowing" or "It's their fault, I called them last", thinking that you are being noble to yourself, but really being stubborn or working in fear?

To answer your other question, "Would you LIVE for a deceased loved one?"
I've never had anyone really close to me die, so obviously no. But I would have to say, why aren't we living for our LIVE loved ones? When we get tired, don't we say "There are so many others worse off that me!" I know that one of the reasons I'm alive today is that my brother has CF as well. I don't know what would happen to him if I died, or to me if he died, I think it would break something inside of us. NOT just because he's my brother and best friend, but because, though we deal with CF in COMPLETELY different ways emotionally, we do both have the same disease, and we are both fighting against the same thing.
So I feel responsible to fight for those who have died, those who are living, and those who are yet to come.

Lance2020x · Jul 24, 2007

This is a very deep post, and I think there are many deeper things that can be read into this thread, kudos.

I think that, in many ways the thought of 'Martyrdom' is often a way out when it really comes down to it. When I was younger, more dramatic and farcical (aka, depressed, suicidal and wanting attention) I would daydream about some chance to be a hero by trading my life for someone I cared about, looking back it's quite obvious that when you want to die anyway (as I did) giving your life for something is not very noble, it's just a desire for attention.

I've been reading the new Harry Potter book (yes yes I know, this is a cheesy reference, but bare with me)(I'll leave names out, but if you're a hardcore fan [like me] and you haven't read the book yet, maybe you should skip this) There's a part in the new book where one of the characters who has had this huge curse on his life since childhood, his lover finally convinces him to marry her, though he is very afraid of the kind of life she would have to live being married to a man who has this horrible problem. Well it comes to a point in the book where he offers himself up for this very dangerous mission, and once some digging is done they discover that his wife has just become pregnant, and he is alienating his wife because he thinks that the wife and child will be better off without him, due to this curse he has endured throughout his life. One of the characters stands up and STRONGLY rebukes him, accusing him of wanting to become a martyr because he's running away from his wife and child, and allowing his cowardice to take control instead of giving his wife and unborn baby a choice at having a father.

This part of the book really was powerful. I think most people would read this and say "Wow, what a vexing situation." But those of us who have been born or grown up "cursed" (just using it as an expression to connect with what I just said), it really has deeper meaning.

So, my point in all of this is it depends on what you are dying for? Many people look at martyrdom, for any reason, jumping in front of a bus for a child, dying in Africa on a missions trip, what ever- as such a noble feat, and by all means I believe it usually is.
But for the sake of intellectual conversation I would have to ask those people throwing themselves into a dangerous place "Are you risking everything you have for the right reasons? Or are you running away from something? Are you sure you aren't looking at martyrdom as a celebrated, noble escape as I did at the age of 15, lying in bed imagining all the ways I could escape my mortal coil in some noble, remembered way?"
So like Brandon said, the CHANCES of ever being faced with that are VERY slim, so the question, I suppose, is are you living your life in martyrdom? The job you are working in, are you calling it noble because you are making money, but truly you are running away from your true desire out of fear of failure? Are you lying to a friend or loved one because you are afraid, coming up with some excuse like "They're better off not knowing" or "It's their fault, I called them last", thinking that you are being noble to yourself, but really being stubborn or working in fear?

To answer your other question, "Would you LIVE for a deceased loved one?"
I've never had anyone really close to me die, so obviously no. But I would have to say, why aren't we living for our LIVE loved ones? When we get tired, don't we say "There are so many others worse off that me!" I know that one of the reasons I'm alive today is that my brother has CF as well. I don't know what would happen to him if I died, or to me if he died, I think it would break something inside of us. NOT just because he's my brother and best friend, but because, though we deal with CF in COMPLETELY different ways emotionally, we do both have the same disease, and we are both fighting against the same thing.
So I feel responsible to fight for those who have died, those who are living, and those who are yet to come.

EnergyGal · Jul 24, 2007