Last Day of Life / Talk With 18-Year-Old Smoker

By Reza Ganjavi

"What would you do on your last day of life?" And talk with a gorgeous 18-year-old.

Friend asked what would you do if this is your last day of life (if you know you will die tomorrow)? I said, wow, that's a profound question... she said, to me it's very clear: I will eat all that I want -- chocolate, pizza, and chips and smoke cigarettes (LOL).

I don't know about cigs - how anybody can actually like them -- but chips I love but don't eat because of the Acrylamide. Choco I love but don't eat because of the caffeine and sugar. Pizza I love but don't eat the traditional recipe because carb & protein mix doesn't digest well and creates inflammation. But a good organic spelt with vegi cheese at Steve's Farmer & Cook is unbeatable -- I could eat that every day. But cigarettes? No thanks. I don't like eating an ashtray.

On that note, met a girl on the bus last night -- unusually beautiful for this region. She had a quarter Italian which did the trick: sometimes a bit of spice is all you need.

I saw her at the bus stop -- she was smoking cigarettes. It hurt my heart to see that such an incredibly beautiful person smoke such ugly things. So on the bus we talked.

She's 18. At that age, the body is very strong and doesn't really feel the pain. But I felt the pain of her aura sitting near her. Such a pity. Such a flower should feel beautiful being near but her aura was poisoned.

She had the typical excuse that she will quit in the future: the trap of psychological time. Good long discussion... she said she'll think about all this... I don't usually give smokers information about why it's bad -- they already know it. Instead I approach it from the angle of first if s/he likes smoking. Once they get to see they don't really like it then we're talking. Then s/he is spending money on something that makes her unhappy, unhealthy, stinks, etc., etc., and doesn't even like it... so then it becomes clear the person wants to quit. Then we're talking about dependence. Physiological and its elements -- relatively easy to beat. Then comes the core subject: psychological change -- and its deep elements -- throw in a few natural laws there -- and some insights and challenges -- things that are never taught in schools but are of utmost importance and apply to all areas of life...

Friend asked: still curious what you'd do on the last day of your life...

Hard question since it's very hypothetical... but, I'd go for a walk in nature and say goodbye to trees, plants, flowers, mountains, clouds, sky, river, sea... I'll eat a balanced meal. I'd play some classical guitar, and also do some singing.

The bulk of the day I will sit quietly and make sure all attachments are ended, all memories that may require recollection are addressed. I'll look to put anything that is still in disorder into order. Will make sure all emails are answered. Will publish any outstanding articles, and delete the rest. Will make a disk for sister or friend or whoever is there afterward of all my mp3s and other digital content that would be worthwhile to someone else. Will make sure all my credit cards are paid off. If I have any money in any account I'll transfer it to someone else -- definitely not to KFA (LOL).

Will donate the guitars. Get rid of all other physical belongings which is not much. Delete all unpublished digital possessions. Will call some loved ones to hear them for the last time. Will send a mass mail saying goodbye :) I don't know... this gets sillier the more I write. It's too hypothetical... but one thing for sure, is to end, such that there's no coming back -- to habits, attachments, unfulfilled desires, etc. I will be very lucky to get done all that I want to do before the body dies, which I hope won't be for another many decades or a century :) who knows...

Oh, for sure, I'll have some organic bananas.