By: May Rostom

For a while now the media have been reporting that Harold Camping, the famous American radio personality- who studied the bible thoroughly for almost 50 years- discovered that May 21st, 2011 will be the end of the world (that’s not his first prediction though, last one was September 1994).

Camping predicts that 200 million people (3% of the world population) will be saved on Saturday May 21st, the day of rapture. He believes that a huge earthquake will hit the earth at 6 pm, not caused by shifting but rather by the second coming of Jesus. Whether I believe him or not, it doesn’t matter, whether I think he’s a madman or not, you shouldn’t care.

I stopped to think about it for a minute, what if the world ends tomorrow? What if today and tomorrow are the last days for me on this earth? Will I be happy to leave? Will I be ready to meet our creator? Have I done everything I hoped I would do? Have I said everything I wanted to say? Have I given back to the world or helped someone immensely? Have I kissed my mum’s beautiful, wrinkly hand one last time? Have I already made plans for that day un-knowingly? Will I get a chance to marry the man of my dreams? Will I ever get to hold my sister’s unborn child? Will I finally cave in to my fear of heights and bungee jump?

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Will I drop into the salon tomorrow to dye my hair pink and get that boy-cut I’ve always wanted?  Will I spend that last day praying, eating, crying, rejoicing, walking my dog, or calling my friends? Who will I spend it with- my family, my soul mate, my friends, my dog, or alone? Would I sleep, shower, waste time in the bathroom, waste time on Facebook, or BBM? Will two days be enough to kiss this world goodbye? Will they be enough to complete all my unfinished business? Will I be able to leave a footprint behind, something that would last long after I'm gone?

The list could go on forever; the thoughts could ramble on for eternity. Maybe that’s why we’re not supposed to know when the world will end. Maybe making future plans and hoping for a better tomorrow is the reason why we live today and learn from the past. Maybe we shouldn’t wait on the world to end to do all the things we wanted to do, or say all the things we wanted to say. Maybe today is our chance to thank God for everything we have and everything we don’t. Maybe we’re not eternal beings so we can start acting and stop talking. I won’t wait for Saturday, neither will I wait for 2012; today I start living, believing, expressing, and doing because we might not get tomorrow!

The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.  ~Mark Twain