X-Message-Number: 17807 From: "George Smith" <> References: <> Subject: Congratulations! Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 11:29:11 -0700 Joseph Strout, CONGRATULATIONS! By taking action and completing the enrollment process for cryonics for yourself and your wife, you have crossed a line which divides two groups on this planet with the razor edge of an implacable guillotine - those who actually commit to physical life and those who don't. The psychological impact of this is now working its way through your conscious awareness. The medical alert jewelry you wear is a physical reminder of your membership in a unique and sadly, still small club in a world filled with fools. People throughout the world celebrate their birthday in honor of the fact that they "entered the world" on that special day. As the years and centuries open before you, you may very well come to look back at the day you completed your cryonics enrollment as you TRUE "birth" day - the day you committed to life as a conscious and personal choice. In the meantime, as we all pass through this last of the dark ages of deathism and mortality, if something should happen to your wife, you will NOT sit in a funeral setting wondering IF you could have done something to actually save her life. You have now done what can be done on a personal level to bypass that kind of painful future event. You will know that there is hope to see her alive and well again. From your wife's perspective this act on your part could easily be perceived as a commitment which goes beyond the vows of mortal marriage ("until death do us part") as you have made a serious and unmistakable effort to help your wife survive beyond even death. This is a commitment to life of heroic measure and you both deserve to feel deep pride in this decision and action. Also from your wife's perspective and any others who truly care about YOU, you have assuaged THEIR potential grief. Should you be struck down by illness or accident, you will not have condemned THEM to sit in abject grief at a funeral service. Your wife and those who care for YOU will know that there is a serious probability that you are not truly "dead" for you will rise again when a future medical capability to reverse what today we call "death" is commonplace. The psychological benefits of choosing life unending and rejecting by an act of will the despair of the last deathist culture on earth will grow within you. My congratulation on your courage, intelligence and determination. May we meet again in the forever which is eternity. Best wishes, George Smith CI member Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=17807