Immortality

Ever wonder what it would be like to live forever?

I know, it's a scary thought. Watching the world pass by as you remained unchanged could be amazing. It could really fuck with your head. There are so many aspects of life to think about when you consider the ramifications of eternal life. And to make this clear I'm talking about a body never growing old. That's right. Trapped in the same old bod forever and ever. If that were to happen right now would you be comfortable in your current skin?

There are plenty of books out there that cover differing aspects of immortality. Anne Rice's Vampires spend generations falling in and out of love. Some go completely bat-shit crazy. You can imagine how watching the people you come to know and grow comfortable with wither away like flowers season after season would have a serious effects. You'd have to be detached at some level or the pain would gnaw at you until your little brain fried and your heart blackened into a chunk of coal.

The Elves of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth are immortal yet can be slain through grievous wounds or weariness. For the most part they spend their time on the fringe, distancing themselves from the other races. Love the isolationism. As time passes it is said that they reach a point where their spirits yearn to move on to the Grey Havens, a fictional device used by Tolkien as a spiritual transition point.
Well, who could blame them?

But, aside from some examples, imagine how you might view the world if you lived for thousands of years. Would the petty squabblings of governments be worth your time to follow? Would you care enough about who was in power or controlled the world?

Would you treat humanity like a garden, tending to it, nurturing it to keep it thriving? How much time and energy would you need to spend to protect it? How would you manage the weeds? Pluck them out one by one or spray down the entire flower bed with some industrial-strength weed killer?

Do you hide your true nature? If some enterprising minds caught wind that you were a walking fountain of youth they might be inclined to tap your nectar and try it for themselves.

Immortality in fiction offers many thrilling tales but creates many complications. How do you craft the mind set of someone who has watched empires rise and fall like the waves of the ocean lapping the shore? In our short (if you will) life spans, turning to the inward struggles that may - or may not - affect someone with an infinite life span severely rattles my brain. It opens up avenues for all kinds of thought. It creates possibilities in new characters and new plots. It could make or break a story.

I wonder where I could take this...

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