LIFE CHOICES: A Chronicle of Some Personal Decisions

	Age 1: 
to crawl or walk？ 
 
	Age 2: 
to poop freely or use a latrine？ 

	Age 7: 
to go to school and study what everyone is supposed to know, 
or stay home and examine what you believe will help you grow？ 
 
	Age 18: 
to study further to obtain a “better” job 
or work while observing life as it throbs？ 

	Age 20: 
to believe what preachers/gurus/rabbis/imams claim 
or to suspect that all statements about “universal truth” are equally lame？ 

	Age 30: 
to live alone “independently” 
or be with another, compromising constantly？ 

	Age 40:
to remain with the same partner, even if it feels stale
or journey alone along an unfamiliar trail？

	Age 55:
to try to guide others to avoiding the same mistakes as you,
or recognize that nobody wants (or needs) any guidance？
(Mistakes are part of learning and what humans do)

	Age 65: 
to pretend that you “really matter” and your life counts somehow, 
or smile at the sheer emptiness of existence and insignificance of all that is avowed? 

	Age 77: 
to become ashes dispersed at sea 
or fertilize the land that nourished thee? 
 

Linda: I dislike the nihilistic tone of this poem. 

Ron:   (ignoring Linda) Well, each person has to pretend as if their life somehow 
        matters, even though in the long run it may not.

Lis:   (ignoring Ron) We should be passionate about our dreams. Those without passion 
       are like the living dead and are capable of nothing worthwhile. 

Lex:   (a bit sarcastically) Well, well – aren’t we listening to each other? 


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from _Last Poems: Lost Poems_ by T Newfields
SUMMARY:   Some thoughts about possible decisions at various stages of life.
KEYWORDS:  life decisions, life stages, life cycles, aging options

Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955 - )
Begun: 2012 Tokyo (Japan) ✠ Finished: 2018 Yokohama (Japan) 
Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}}  

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TRANSLATIONS

ESPAÑOL:  https://www.tnewfields.info/es/opciones.htm
FRANÇAIS: https://www.tnewfields.info/fr/choix.htm 
NIHONGO:  https://www.tnewfields.info/jp/sentaku.htm
ZHŌNGWÉN: https://www.tnewfields.info/zh/xuanze.htm