Carpe Diem – New York New York

“Tell me how to fight?” How do you fight something that, at any given point, can kill you? We all know we are going to die one day, but to know that your death is quickly coming, it will be painful, and all at the hands of tiny little molecules killing you slowly from the inside is terrifying. And there’s nothing you can really do about it. I don’t know how I could live like that. Bill T. Jone’s Still/Here took me a moment to realize what was going on. Whose talking? What are they saying? It dawned on me that they are people, terminally ill people, taking about their disease. When one of the dancer was laying down other dancers, it made me realize what this dance was about.

I was very upset at first when I realized what this dance was representing. Why am I watching something that has to do with death? But then, I was grateful. It shows how little life is, how people, everyday, are fighting to stay alive. And here I am, a five foot two women getting the best public education New York City has to offer, being exposed to a tremendous amount of culture, and not having to spare a dime. It reinforced the idea about how lucky and gifted I am to have such an amazing opportunity. It made me appreciate life even more. Because, there are days I miss the bus or I don’t want to be around my parents, but at the end of the day I am alive, healthy, and lucky.

When I was watching this dance and reading about it, it reminded me of the women, Brittany Maynard, for took her life on Saturday because she was terminally ill. She was in the program, Death with Dignity, where people can choose to take special medication to end their lives if they are terminally ill, an adult, and understand what is going on. To top it off, she was only 29. She realized that she wasn’t going to win the fight, that in the end she was going to get sicker, suffer, and die. I think everyone should have the choice to do this or not. Only a few states allow this so far. I was reading an article on CNN, “My Mother Deserved to Die with Dignity“, which basically explained how the author of the article, Loren Stanford, had a miserable childhood, growing up to watch her mother go through various procedures to “beat” cancer. In the end her mother’s appearance and personality was altered, and the mother committed suicide. Stanford wanted the last memory of her mother to be of her real mother not the one where sickness took over and created something that wasn’t the real thing. That is what Maynard did. It is very sad, but it reminds me to always seize the day.

The person who died was not my mother. She was not the funny, intelligent, strong and fierce woman I knew. The person who died was sad and had lost all hope. My last memory of my mother is of this person. Lying on the bed with a bottle of pills next to her and her eyes half open. There is no justice in her lasting legacy. She deserved better. She deserved to go in a more dignified way. – Loren Stanford

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Overall, the dance evoked various emotions from me. They ranged from sadness to understanding. I feel like, after really reading and watching Jone’s dance, I am more committed to my life than I ever was. I feel like everyday is a day to seize the moment. If I don’t, it could be too late.

Ann Privorotskiy says:

November 4, 2014 at 1:53 pm

I very strongly agree with your point that despite this performance’s seemingly melancholy approach, it elicits a sense of gratefulness for the smaller things in life. Naturally, most people don’t like to talk about death, or anything else that causes not the happiest emotion. People try to avoid discussing matters that upset them, because who likes to feel down? I think seeing a performance like this is healthy, and even necessary, from time to time. People are so busy focusing on the bad little things that occur to them, like missing the bus for example, that a lot of the time the beauty of a perfect weather day is overlooked. The quote you cited from “My Mother Deserved to Die with Dignity” was a powerful one and I think the concept of euthanasia is something very controversial that needs to be looked at with a more open, and understanding mind.

nicholasleung says:

November 4, 2014 at 11:22 pm

Your response to Jones’s dance is a really strong one. His dance takes a very upsetting, saddening topic and makes something beautiful out of it, which can be either controversial or extremely uplifting. It’s a fine line he dances upon (pun completely intended). The quote you used is really wonderful and powerful, and definitely stays true to Bill T. Jones’s message through dance: to understand how precious and profound life is. It is a privilege not to be taken advantage of.

anandpoonai says:

November 5, 2014 at 12:28 am

I really enjoyed reading your response to Still/Here. There was a lot of meaning behind it and I actually agree with you when you said you were upset about what the dance represented. I felt the same way at the beginning, but then I finally realized that the deeper meaning behind the dance is extraordinary. I was personally so confused about the dance at first, but after reading the two articles, I got the gist of the video. Bill T. Jones does a phenomenal job in portraying the hardships of society through dance. Great response!