death scenario paper

In this death scenario paper, the reader is asked to put himself or herself in the shoes of the victim, who is on his or her way to meet a friend who lives on the 20th floor of an ancient building. The sound of people shouting and choking wakes you up at night. When you turn on the lights, you notice that the room is filled with smoke. You panic and rush to the door, but you are scorched by the hot door knob, so you grab a blanket and use it as a handle to open the door, no sooner do you open the door than large wave of smoke and flame rushed into the room knocking you of your feet. You therefore opt for another mode of exiting the room which is one small window, you try to open it but to no avail you realize it is stuck. Your body starts giving up on you, you try to scream for help but you cannot gather up the energy. By now the entire room engulfed in flames, you are on the verge of death, giving up; you close your eyes and wait for the inevitable.

While reading through the death scenario, one cannot help but have a feeling of empathy for someone whom might have been in a similar situation. It really provides a unique perspective of how one’s life can end so suddenly without the person understanding the root cause of his/her death.

One of the thoughts that really wondered through mind while reading through the text was the instinct of survival. We as animals have an inbuilt instinct to survive using all available resources, regardless of the environment we are in. This can even be seen in the text when we imagine trying to escape through the door but it proves to be futile, the other option becomes escaping through the window which also bears no fruits. This made me try to think of other avenues of escape if I was in such a situation, thereby proving to me how strong one’s will to survive may determine his/her death or survival.

While reading through the text, numerous questions ran through my mind; was I the best person I could be? Could I have done anything to make myself a better person? I could not help but have an overwhelming feeling of regret; this made me question most of the decisions I have made. I noticed I did not have a bucket list, this normally would not bother me as bucket lists are usually thought to be an old people thing, but I resolved to make one since death is imminent and untimely.

I also felt a sense of fear; this is due to the fact that we usually forget that death comes at inopportune times and we have to face it, and when we do, we do it alone. This really brought about a feeling of loneliness since it reminded me that in death we are all alone.

If I had been in such a terrifying situation, I would have done some things different in order to ensure my survival. First, I would have tried to break the window rather than trying to open it. I would also wrap myself in blankets to prevent any burns to my body. This, I would have increased my chances of survival.

However, given all this tactics fail and I am in my final moments I would try my best to ensure they count. First, I would try to make peace with those I may leave behind and say goodbye to the ones I love .I would do this by sending a short text message a family member and ask him/her to pass it on, in the text I would mention how much I love them, what they mean to me and bid them goodbye. Lastly, since I am quite a religious person; a firm believer in the existence of an afterlife and heaven, I would try to ensure my relationship with God is strong before I die, I would do this through a short prayer. In that prayer I would ask for forgiveness for my sins and a peaceful transition into the next world. I would only do these two things since there would be little time to salvage.

We all deem ourselves the heroes/heroines of our own stories. In my case, it’s not any different. If I had experienced such an incident, I would have loved to be eulogized in a way where all my successes are celebrated and my failures serve as a learning experience for others.

In my own words, I can describe the life I have lived up to this point as short but fulfilling. One of the things that I consider to be my achievements is being valedictorian of my high school class, it required hard work, dedication and discipline which I showed and was rewarded. It allowed me to get into a good college and I will forever treasure this achievement. Making lifelong friends and living peacefully with my friends and family is also what I consider another personal achievement. Family is what is closest to my heart; still having a family that is close and friends one can count on is something worth appreciating since they are quite precious. What I consider to be my greatest achievement is having lived a life where I did right by others and myself where I could and having a few regrets.

Traumatic events usually drive people out of their comfort zones and offer them different perspectives of viewing things. This affects people in different ways, both positively and negatively. Some of the positive ways in which they offer an opportunity of growth are;

Rehabilitation.

When a person, for example who abuses drugs comes to a near death experience, this might help offer some insight into his lifestyle, this might enable him start rehabilitation and thus enable him stop engaging in the social vice thereby bettering his life.

Lifestyle change.

People who have suffered near death experiences from lifestyle diseases such as experiencing a heart attack usually have a change in their lifestyle, for example they may start exercising and eating healthy, if they took alcohol they may stop. This may help the person grow in a number of ways and develop an appreciation for their life.