Ephemera the plural of ephemeron, which is from the Greek meaning Mayfly. "Short-lived things".

I was working on the Times crossword puzzle when this word came up and I realized, in one of those "Aha, now I get it" moments, that ephemera describes all of us. How long is a life? It's all relative, I know, but just how long do we really have?

Yes, it's once again one of those useless posts that poses questions with no intention of answering them.

Really, what could I possibly say? Everyone's experience is so unique, their view of the quality of their lives is so subjective. How many times have you heard at a funeral of someone who passes after at least 80 years: "Well, at least they had a good life. At least they lived a long time."
My question is: Did they have a good life, and who are we to judge? How do you quantify a person's experience on this earth? And how long is a long life? At age 20 years, 40 seemed like a lifetime away (wait a minute, it WAS a lifetime!), and now at 40 something, 60 doesn't seem that far away. There is some sort of trick in the brain that makes time seem to go faster as we age--I forget what it's called, but it has something to do with the farther away we are from childhood and the closer we get to old age.
One of my biggest fears is that on my death bed I'll have regrets. Why didn't I? I should have, would have, could have . . . if only I'd known. But I bet it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference if we knew ahead of time that something might be a once in a lifetime experience. I hope that in my life I've taken some chances, enough so that I won't regret all of the times I didn't do something. I won't know until it's too late, because truly I'm an ephemeron. Here is something I read about mayflies, also known as hexagenia spp.: "Mayflies accumulate around lights, making roads, streets, sidewalks, etc. slippery and dangerous."
Well, that's a little similar to humans. We tend to congregate in large groups, near well-lighted areas; like coffeehouses. I also read part of the description: "The adult Mayfly, Hexagenia, is fragile. Mayflies are classified in the Insect Order Ephemeroptera, meaning in Greek "lasting but a day." Mayflies live sometimes only for a few hours, rarely do they live for a few days. And I love this about them: They only fly and mate within dancing swarms. Doesn't that sound like homo-sapiens? Well, maybe not completely. It somehow reminds me of my college days.
So, are we long-lived? Humans? Or are we nothing more than a version of a mayfly? Yet another ephemeron.
Next time I fill out a questionaire that asks my race, I think I'll just write: empheron. They can sort it out.