Published In The Great North Arrow, August 1, 2025: The Final Review

The Final Review

- jim Young

“At the end of the day, all that matters is love and memories.

So make sure that you give it and make sure you make them.” - anon

Many people have reported seeing their lives flash before their eyes just before death. But of course those people that tell us that, didn’t really die. They only suffered a near death experience. So we don’t know for certain if that also happens with people that have actually died.

However, not everyone that experiences a near death experience has reported this phenomenon. But maybe they just hadn't gotten all the way there yet. Maybe if they had gotten a moment or two closer to their actual death, their film migt've started to roll.

At what point does your inner stage manager cue the lighting operator to lower your house lights and call for the projector to roll? I wonder if any of these people also saw a quick countdown from 8 to 2 accompanied with a little beep that counted off the seconds to go as each number appeared?  

“Eight, Seven, Six, Five, four, three, two… it’s showtime folks!”

Or maybe when your life flashes before your eyes… that comes at the end of the film.

According to one source, the average life span for men in Ontario is 80 years. Based on that, as of this writing, I have experienced 26,510 yesterdays and can expect to see another 2,710 tomorrows. So relatively speaking at least, I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

I’m actually looking forward to that show. I’ve seen all of the star’s previous performances (mostly live) and I loved them all. And the supporting cast features talented familiar faces that I have admired and adored all my life.

But I can wait for the release date. I don’t really want an advance screening for this, but I hope they have popcorn when the time comes.

Or maybe the show has already started. I remember when my father got older, he often told me more and more stories from his past. Dad told me that once he was gone, those stories would be lost forever. That was partly true because I’m sure I never heard them all, but I have many of them written down in our family archives for future generations.

I’ve noticed that about old people. As they age, old people often open up more and more about their past with wonderful stories to relate whenever anyone shows an interest in listening. I often encourage people to write these stories down or record them for future generations. But they seldom do.

And now I have reached that point in my life. Stories from my past often seem to pop into my head at any given time. I try to take my own advice and jot them down when my computer is at hand, but I know I don’t get them all.

Could this be my life flashing before my eyes only more slowly? Maybe your life’s review doesn’t always come in a flash right at the end. Perhaps it’s spread out over a period of time.

Could this be a natural part of aging? Younger people don’t experience this as much because they have fewer life experiences to draw upon.

But perhaps everyone reaches a certain point in their life where they have so many memories stored in their brains, that they start to float up to the surface. It may be a part of life that, given the opportunity, we are all destined to experience. Maybe it’s as inevitable as things such as grey or thinning hair, weary bones, weakening muscles. 

Perhaps all those people who experienced their life flashing before their eyes during a near death experience were just getting a crash course on their past because they hadn’t reached the point in their lives where it was to come forth slowly and naturally.

Maybe their brain is signalling them… “Death is imminent, we need to get through this before you go. Sorry but you’ll have to have the fast forwarded version to get to the end in time.” 

Whether your end movie is presented slowly over time in your end days or in a flash at the last minute, it’s important to remember who the director is. 

This is your movie and you will be its only critic. Whether your movie will be uplifting and inspiring or a trashy B-movie is up to you.

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