Dead or Alive.

Dead or alive. These are not simply the words that haunt the most notorious outlaws. For me, they are a question of a person's worth and in that sense, they haunt me daily as well. I say it is better to die at 30 as the one and only, on your terms, living your life...than to live forever trapped in an existence of no consequence. So...Often, I contemplate the weight of a life in which death has so much more impact on society than that which so many make with a life, that is, at least from a biological perspective, very much “alive”. This is a weight that cannot be gauged by a scale but can only be measured by the ripple effect of your actions on humanity. A heartbeat and warm breath are not the lone factors to consider in terms of life... My criteria are somewhat loftier. Do your words ring in the ears of those with which you communicate? Have you done something to improve the lives of those that surround you? Have you put yourself on the line for a fellow man? Do you speak your mind and follow your heart, even at the expense of your social status? Do you hold yourself to a certain standard, even when alone, when there is no one there to impress? Do you live for the conviction of your conscience or for the approval of others? You must question whether you are making the most of the gift that is this day, the here and now, or whether you are simply passing time waiting for the inevitable. Life isn't a beauty pageant; you haven't been put here to curry favor with the judges. Life is a test and the only teacher who determines whether you pass or fail is you. To exist is simple, to die a mere organic process, but to actually live is something quite remarkable. So I ask you again, who among us has truly lived?