Last month, after meeting with friends for some afternoon tea, we decided to head to an old haunt of ours in Greektown to enjoy some good food, atmosphere and a little bit of nostalgia. During the course of our dinner conversation one of the party started talking about how proud and impressed that veterans whom have lost limbs during the war are able to overcome what they have lost and become stronger in the end.
Naturally this would evolve into a conversation of what each of us would be willing to lose, and subsequently what is the one thing that would terrify us should it be taken away from us. Be it a limb, a sense, etc.
When it comes to the natural five senses this was what would be the most detrimental
- For the artist: losing sight
- For the vocalist: losing hearing
- For the foodie: losing taste
And then there was me…
I know, technically I would fit in any of the above categories, but I also know myself enough to know that I am most likely capable of adapting should I lose any of the above one day. I mean if I lose my sense of sight, I would still be able to imagine what the world around me would be like through the spoke word. If I lose the sense the hearing, I can still feel rhythms and beats as long as the music is loud enough… also one could still carry conversations even if one were deaf. Losing the sense of taste although difficult isn’t impossible… and so on.
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks…
It wasn’t a physical limb, or a sense that would be the most detrimental to me… it would be if I could no longer imagine, or think, or process… essentially brain cancer / tumor / etc would be the most terrifying for me.
So now I posit the question to you… what can you not live without?