How do people carry themselves in life?

Some time ago, I had a dream that had such a profound effect on me that I could still remember it well. Basically, it starts off with a woman and a boy (most probably her son) were running aimlessly. It really was like a movie. They seem to be running from one city to another, in only a matter of seconds. It doesn't seem to make sense until I saw what was chasing the two of them. It was a creature wearing a black cloak full of holes and it doesn't have any legs but it can float on mid-air. My guess was that it was Death itself (minus the scythe). The chase kept going on until mother and son entered an empty room(a dead end). Then, a mist exited out of the boy's nostrils, slowly moves like a snake towards Death's right fist while the boy gradually withers away until he became a lifeless vessel. Afterwards, in a rather cliche manner, Death slowly fades away, leaving a distraught mother to mourn for her son's death.

That's how the story goes. But I still pity the mother even though I knew it was a dream. It even got me thinking of life. Everyone knows that life is so short and that just about anyone can and will meet their ends even in the most unexpected ways. Yet, people seem to just carry on with their lives, committing their time just for monthly cheques. Everyone seems to be 'functioning' instead of 'living'. It's like they hit a 'replay' button, going through more or less the same routine, no matter how much they dislike it. The irony of it all lies deep in everyone's desire to change although very few people actually make that decision. Perhaps, it has something to do with the way people are brought up. Or maybe, there is no other reason NOT to live a mundane life?