“Die now!” chanted the crowd as Diagóras of Rhodes circled the stadium. They meant it as a compliment.

Olympia, 448 BCE. Two of Diagóras' sons had just received Olympic crowns. "Die now!" chanted the crowd as his sons raised him to their shoulders and bore him aloft.

Meaning: you might as well die now; you're never going to get any happier than this.

 

In my long and rich life, I've been fortunate enough to have several “Die now!” moments.

Here's one.

 

It sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale.

There was once a woman who had three sons, each one more beautiful than the next.

It so happened that I was talking with this woman at the annual community-wide May Day breakfast.

Across the table, her youngest son sat with his boyfriend. In fact, he was sitting in his boyfriend's lap.

They were making out.

No one said anything, no one cared.

No one even noticed.

My eyes filled up with tears.

This is what I've been working for all my life, I thought: To make a world in which two boys can kiss in a roomful of people, and no one even notices.

 

It's been a long, hard journey, and gods know there's plenty yet to be done.

But you can die happy now, Posch.

Die now.