What is it inside of us that is attracted to the morbid side of life? Is it that we’re all destined to die one day, and so we like to look Death in the eyes while we live and tell him we’re not scared? Or is it there some sort of gene within us that wants to observe the grotesque and macabre?
For example, I’ve never been one of those people who like to watch those sick videos of people’s tragic death’s caught on tape. I don’t visit those websites to look at automobile accident victims, or gunshot wounds. I don’t really even like to look at blood. Heck, I’d get a little squeamish watching ER from time to time. Anyway, for reasons far beyond me, I watched a two minute video the other day that I wish I’d passed on. A Facebook friend shared it, with the title along the lines of “I Can’t Believe He’s Still Alive!” or something like that. Self-conflicted, I decided that if the person was still alive, then it would be safe enough to watch. I ignored the gory warning.
At one point I actually paused the video (after the first onset of a bleeding head) and debated whether or not I wanted to continue. It was almost over, so why not? That was a terrible mistake, and I can’t get the images out of my mind.
But there’s some sort of attraction for this stuff that I don’t understand. How can people be calloused enough to want to watch things like that? And then make stupid and obnoxious comments (“well, the dummy should’ve died!” or “Darwin scores again!”) that are filled with disrespect. Friends, the world baffles me.
Even though I don’t like the morbid stuff, I myself am not above this plague. Walking down the sidewalks at college, when a bus would drive by I’d find myself wondering what it would feel like to be hit by the monstrous vehicle. Would it immediately nock me unconscious or would I be dragged painfully for several yards? And when I make left-turns at an intersection I think about how it would feel to be T-Boned. It’s not that I want these things to happen, in fact it’s far from that, but it’s the experience I’m curious about.
How can a writer write about these sorts of things if they have no experience? It’s all speculation, I suppose. Everything but non-fiction is mostly an author’s speculation, I suppose. Speculation is directly linked to imagination, which is strongly correlated to reading enjoyment, and again I’m baffled.
Don’t worry, folks, I’m a happy, optimistic life-loving individual with an overactive mind. I’d wager, though, that you’ve probably had similar queries. How would a lighting bolt feel? Would a zombie bite through my leg be as painful as a Doberman’s? (There’ll be a review of Zombieland up tomorrow, by the way.)
I guess the day I stop being curious will be the day I die.
(This was posted using the Windows Live Writer, recommended by Shellie. Hopefully everything turns out, cause it looks like a promising tool.)
