I have listened to people complain ad nauseum about how unfair death is and how they wish they could live forever as well any number of conspiracy theories about how there is a way to live forever, but “they” are trying to keep it secret, while “they” enjoy the benefits eternal life.

Balderdash. I have lived for three millennia at this point and let me tell you, immortality is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Consider this: The first time around, I had a fairly "normal" existence. I was born – although I really don’t remember that so maybe I just appeared one day but I think things would have gone differently had that been the case, I don’t know. There’s no one around to ask. Anyway, I was born, I grew up, I had parents – again, I am assuming at this point because my memory isn’t as good as it once was, and I could only start writing things down on paper about 1500 years after I was born. So anyway, I grew up, I had a partner, we had children, they grew up, my partner died, my children and their partners died, my children’s children died…but somehow, I didn’t. Of course, I figured out that something was up long before I had to leave the place I had called home for those early years. I didn’t need a mirror (thank goodness since they were invented some 2800 years after I was born). I had the eyes of my family, my friends, my neighbors. The little insidious comments about how I never changed, I always looked the same, I looked better than my children, my grandchildren. I had no answers. I’d just hunch a shoulder and say, “Thank you?” People telling you how young you look gets old very quickly. It’s never a compliment. Indeed, it became the death knell to each iteration of my life.

And I have to say, yes, it is a miserable thing to bury everyone you love and have to find the wherewithal to continue living. And watching generation after generation find new reasons to hate (or the same old reasons with new packaging) and more technologically advanced ways to kill, is not heartening. Watching economic and political systems, nations and religions, rise and fall? Not great entertainment. Seeing knowledge expand exponentially only to contract (remember the Dark Ages?): not fun.

But it is absolutely terrifying to have to leave everything that you have known, everything that is familiar and treasured, to forge a new life elsewhere where you know no one and, most importantly, where no one knows you, because those that do know you - indeed even those who have loved you - become fearful of you. You are an aberration of everything they know should be. And as far as everyone knows, the circle of life is just that: a circle. Life should not be a continuous, unending line. No one should look 25 for 100 years, never mind 3000. Granted, the witch hunts and all their manifestations could not kill me even when they tried. But they did send me off and running from lives I loved too many times to count.

I wouldn’t wish immortality on my worst enemy.

The week is coming to an end, the days are over

The world is embedded in news

like a huge tower

There is a country in the world that I don't want to name

if I say it will be a shame

Everyone knows this country

No description on this country -

did you know

I'll remind you if you want ...

In a country in the Middle East, discontent grew

The embassy building was burned down

people are angry ...

boy crying ...

disaster ...

So, a state that could not stand the embassy burning

wanted to send his army

for bloodshed!

for murder!

Yet, everyone hates this country

the dragon cannot reconcile with the land

afraid of the small peninsula

but will continue to be cunning

This country is helping TERROR

THIS state gives way to battle!

It is a bloody state that sells weapons!

This state does not come to a conclusion

In the wake of capitalism, the enemy becomes an enemy

This state only knows how to impeach its president

Here is the truth - the conclusion is from you!

If you got the answer - I'm glad!

O God! Stop this cursory act

Save yourself from war!

Penelope stopped in front of 389.2 closing her eyes. After 496 years on Earth, and 144 spent trying to memorize the Dewey Decimal System, she still had to pause and think when reshelving books. Nope. She was in the wrong place, folktales were in 398.2. She turned around and stuck a book about skinwalkers back where it belonged, before turning back to her heavy cart, pushing it through the aisles.

Passing the community notice board, she saw a flyer for an Irish Step Dance class. She chuckled to herself, thinking about the last time she had tried Irish Step, about 93 years ago. Or was it 94? No matter. She had been absolutely terrible at it, but the monotony of the library days were getting to her so she picked up a flyer. As she folded it into a square, the webbing between her index finger and thumb sliced along the impossibly sharp edge of the paper, blossoming blood almost immiediately.

“Goddammit!” she burst out. The already hushed library became immediately and unnervingly silent as the circulation desk paused its stamping, the computer users ceased typing, and librarian reading aloud for Children’s Story Hour stopped mid-sentence.

“Sorry,” Penelope called out as she sheepishly held up her hand. “Paper cut.”

The immortality was appreciated after all it is what i asked for. However, if you plan to make the same wish make sure instead of saying "i wish to be immortal!" then triumphantly running off cackling to yourself at the age of 20, say "I wish for eternal youth." because youth does not come with the immortality package and after about 400 years of living in a deteriorating body i'm starting to regret my decision.