Pure Colour

by Sheila Heti

I mean, a hundred and fifty thousand people die in the world every day. That’s a huge number, and life goes on. It’s not a big tragedy, so it’s not worth worrying about. Yeah, and I mean, what’s the alternative? Well, there is no alternative. That’s what I’m saying, what’s the alternative? What those programmers want to do? Download your brain into the computer so that you can be a program? And then they come and unplug you or something? I know, it sounds like a horror show. I can’t believe this is something people want. Well, it’s because they don’t understand the fact that you live forever, and when you die, you don’t regret it. You don’t sit up there saying, Oh man, if only I could be at the ball game, why can’t I be at the ball game. Right, that makes no sense. And they say that Christianity solved it because you can live forever, but you might go to hell forever, so that’s really sick. And something that goes on forever? Who’d want that? Who’d want to live something over and over again, or to be stuck being a farmer for a thousand years? What do you mean, being a farmer for a thousand years? Well, let’s say you could live for a thousand years. But why a farmer? Well, if you happen to be a farmer, but whatever, a teacher, a mechanic, a chef. Why do they even want to live forever? To look at photos of things they’re not even a part of? Who cares? Or to be friends with two hundred people? And get one hundred or two hundred things on your feed each day? What kind of life ...