SUNRISE - April 3, 2011

April 3, 2011 Sunrise 6:45 am

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."  ~ Mark Twain


"I would think to truly and fully LIVE one's life and to enjoy all the mysteries that Life on Earth has to offer - one must, in the immortal words of 'Captain Kirk, of the Starship Enterprise:  "Number One; ENGAGE!" 

- Robert Welton

"What would be the use of immortality to a person who cannot use well a half an hour?"  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


"How wasted the potential joys of immortality - watching re-runs of the 'Dukes of Hazard' or the 'Shopping Channel'.  Should we flirt with the greatness we could achieve if gifted with immortality, we should follow the lives and eternal marks made by  'Beethoven', 'Shakespeare' or 'Homer' (I am referring to the epic Iliad, not Homer Simpson, although as an unfortunate mark against modern society, the  cartoon character precedes the Greek poet on the internet search engines).  They did achieve immortality through their works and so their legacy of contribution lives on.  One hundred years from now will the same be said of us?"

 - Robert Welton

"Our repugnance to death increases in proportion to our consciousness of having lived in vain." ~William Hazlitt'


"Athletic success is a very personal internal state of mind from having tried your absolute best with the honed and developed natural talent you were given, not the external showtime of holding the trophy aloft, amongst the  cheering crowds.  When an athlete wins by default or simply because his opponent tripped or gave the victory away, the moment  has not the sweet after-taste of true success and ironically not even the same level of personal satisfaction of knowing you fairly applied all your skill and "left it all on the field" and perhaps came up short.  Long after the days of competition are over, the adoring crowds have faded away, when we face the harshest judge of all - ourselves - will we meet the true standard of success that only we can measure:  Did we try our best?"  


The same is true for all of us.  Our competition is simply who and what we could have been with the natural talent we were given.  Did we hone and develop God's gift?  Did we leave a legacy worth remembering?  Did we try our best?  Did we run out of TIME before we made an effort to make our mark?  The influence on the  lives of those that come after, is our legacy, where that be positive, negative or non-existent.  Think Bach vs. Hitler.  Both achieved immortality and the efforts of their lives live on.  No one should come to the realization that their gift of TIME on earth held little or no positive value and their moments were in vain.  Death is simply saying "Time is Up - Step Away".  Now, stand back and look at what you produced.  Did you try your best - did you leave it all on the field?  If so, victory, and so immortality, is yours."


- Robert Welton