If the world was about to end, would you wash the dishes?

JayDean posted this in the overnight comments:

I need to really get my house straightened up better if the world is ending Aug 22. I did think I had a little more time to get organized.

I know it's just a bit of dark humor, but I can't help taking it and running with it. Now, the reason this *first* caught my attention is that I immediately thought to myself, "Man, that's the *last* thing I would be doing if the world were about to end!" But then, as far back as I can remember, thoughts like this would pop, unbidden, into my head, "If the world were to end before Monday, I wouldn't have to finish this paper..."

Yes, I'm big on procrastination, and always have been. I also have a background in psychology, and most quarters I'm at least teaching one course in it. One of these courses is Lifespan Development. In the death and dying section, we discuss a study in which people of different ages what they would do if they learned that they only had six months to live.

The way the textbooks for these courses are set up, the death and dying chapter is typically the last thing covered. Occasionally, students commented that it's kind of a downer note to end on. I've found that a discussion of this study, and student's own responses to the "what would you do if time was short?" question can serve to lighten the mood a bit, as well as providing some food for thought. It can lighten the mood when people say things like, "Well, those are the only conditions under which I would try bungee jumping!" And it can provide food for thought when people think of how important it is to spend time with loved ones, make amends, tell people how much you care about them, and so forth. Because discussing this kind of "what if" brings to mind the fact that there are no guarantees in life. And if it would be important to me to tell people how much they mean to me if I had six months (or 6 days) to live, then it's important to tell them that anyway, isn't it?

So, how would you answer the question?

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