Immortal Rebuttal

This past weekend I found myself defending my claims of immortality on a couple of occasions. Saturday night, out with some friends, I had quite a lengthy debate on the matter. I employed the Socratic Method, while my esteemed opposition countered with her theory that all living things are mortal things, therefore immortality can not exist. I cited historical cases of common beliefs which were then disproven, including Copernicus’s heliocentric assertions which flew in the face of the widely accepted geocentric views. Heliocentrism was eventually proven (after much Inquisitioning), thus my position was, “Is it not therefore possible for immortality to exist and we just don’t know it yet?” There was a well spoken rebuttal, but I ended the debate with a statement that silenced the table; “It’s true that immortality may not exist, but nothing exists if it is not yet conceived.” My opposition conceded the point, and we continued our pitchers over far lighter conversation.

Last night I found myself once again defending my position, this time against a prodigious pupil of mine. I quickly learned that a new opponent often brings a fresh perspective, and that sometimes the student teaches the professor. I restated my argument for the possibility of immortality, and The Breeze countered with the statement that immortality can not be proven, therefore cannot exist. Only mortality can be proven, and to do that one must die. To prove immortality one would have to live forever, and because forever is eternal, immortality can never be proven with any finality. By that rationale only mortality can exist. I was forced to concede the point.

I now have to retract my claims of immortality, until I can come up with a reasonable argument to refute this new one. It is a bitter pill, if you will, because I was very much enjoying my immortal status. The realization of probable mortality is sobering, and on my ride home from work today, after breaking land speed records to catch some fruity spandex bike guy so I could rocket past him on a hill, I actually refrained from passing him because I could see cars approaching in my mirror. It was extremely humbling, and difficult, to rein in Karkharoth before he swallowed the biker whole. He nearly bit a chunk out of the guy’s back tire in his fury. I hope to offer a new argument to the ongoing debate soon, so that I may ride again with reckless abandon.

On an unrelated note, I wrote most of this blog at work today, while I was standing around waiting for somebody, so it is my first paying gig, not counting Grand Prize Contest Winnings.