h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It is said: 'When the gods want to curse us, they grant us our wishes'

I think the ultimate curse would be immortality. Our lives possess structure. We have life phases: infancy, youth, pubescence, middle-age, retirement and old age. Even if life was not an infinite series of Groundhog days, the idea of being in the same phase forever (infinite pubescence?- yuck!!), with nowhere to go next would be awful.

We talk about about all the things we want to do 'before we die'. Once you've been everywhere, read all the books, etc. etc., what then?

Remember Wowbagger, the Infinitely Prolonged, who resorted to insulting everyone in the Galaxy - in person - in alphabetical order.

I'm happy with my three score years and ten thank you very much, and I write as one approaching three score years now.

I think you're absolutely right.

In an rpg I'm plaing an immortal for about 1,5 years now, so I thought about what it's like a lot.
Tavaron is only 55, so 'young' as an immortal and she isn't really happy with being one but knows she can't change it. All her friends will die. She can find new ones but they will die, too, and so on. No one will stay. In a way she'll always be alone.
If she ever has children they would also be immortal and have to go through the same things, and can she do that to them? She will have to see how the universe dies some day in the future. She would have to be there until the end, not even able to kill herself.
Like Wowbagger she is also has rich parents and so doesn't have anything to do, on the other had: imagine that you'd have to work for a living until eternity!
And if long distance space travel never gets invented what would you do once Earth is gone? Dying forever alone in space? That's all things you have to think about, even if it sounds funny...
I guess I'd be afraid of making friends because I would know that I can't keep them. Being immortal must be no fun.
Also: could you get ill? Would you be 'young' and immortal or would you look like a walking dead? Being immortal doesn't have to mean that you are healthy and look young and pretty!

Living for a few centuries maybe is alright, but forever? No, thanks.