Blog

Why I Haven’t Killed Myself, Yet

Why I Haven’t Killed Myself, Yet

Ian Martin in Pearly Beach

Why I Haven’t Killed Myself, Yet

It’s strange that I have bothered to hang around this long, considering all the nihilistic thoughts that populate my brain. 

I was about 17 when it first occurred to me to ask myself, ‘What’s the point in being alive?’ And over the next 50-odd years I have repeated this obtuse question, and I still come up with the same answer: No point. I am not able to justify my existence, and as a consequence, have failed to develop a socially acceptable outlook on three important levels. Firstly, how I perceive myself; secondly, how I view my fellow human beings; and thirdly, how I see my place in the cosmos.

How do I see myself? Most people work very hard at constructing a heroic image of themselves. The moment I get started on any such image building activity I am stopped in my tracks by the sound of sniggering at my shoulder. I suddenly feel embarrassed, as if I had been observed practising a smile in the mirror, or someone had opened the door to find me busy … Read more

To view my longer work as an author, you can find me on Smashwords here.

Why I Haven’t Killed Myself, Yet

Ian Martin

This is my writer's blog and it's a pleasure to have your company. You’ll see that the site is designed to showcase my writing.

View Profile

What is Xplorio?

Xplorio is your local connection allowing you to find anything and everything about a town.

Watch the Gansbaai Video
Read More

Recent Posts

Memory Project: The Bicycle

Memory Project: The Bicycle

A bicycle is a human-powered vehicle consisting primarily of a frame, two wheels, pedals, a chain, gears, handlebars and brakes. 

Idlers

Idlers

It is 2035. I am 28, and in the past decade I've lived through a sea change that seems far from over. It has largely been driven by the development of AI.

Revolution Chapter 13: Five Years of Change

Revolution Chapter 13: Five Years of Change

Five years had passed since the coup that reshaped the Republic. What had begun in secrecy and peril had, through persistence and reform, become a functioning and remarkably stable new order.

Revolution: Chapter 12 - Defending the Nation

Revolution: Chapter 12 - Defending the Nation

By the fifth year after the coup, the Council turned its attention to a sector long neglected, yet essential to any sovereign nation: defence.

Revolution: Chapter Eleven - Healing the Nation

Revolution: Chapter Eleven - Healing the Nati...

By 2031, as the housing and agricultural sectors surged forward, the Council turned its attention to another pillar of national recovery: healthcare.

Revolution Chapter 6 - The Second Address to the Nation

Revolution Chapter 6 - The Second Address to ...

The Second Address to the Nation, delivered on 15 December 2026, was the most widely watched broadcast in South Africa's modern history.