"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did -- in his sleep. Not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car." Saw this on another site and thought it was funny enough to share. __________________________________
I appreciate the joke but the fact is, I've actually given this some serious thought. My ideas are based on the fact that over the course of the past two years I have sen five people wither away with dementia. It's the saddest thing in the world. I would hate to die that way. My hope is that when I get to the age when I know I have not much longer to live I will set out on my last great adventure. I will meet strange people and see strange sights. I will eat strange food and sleep on the floor of some little stone house. If I can, I will find some small child and give her a trinket that she can keep close to her heart. Then, one night I will quietly step off the edge of a cliff and disappear from the living world. To me, a much better ending than having some kind-hearted nurse spend 5 years wiping drool off my chin. One of my favorite movies of all time is an existential film starring Lawrence Fisburne entitled "Always outnumbered, always outgunned." There is a death scene toward the end of the movie that exactly illustrates my feelings. Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying." --Woody Allen
Saw Alzheimer's slowly take my Dad away. No fun. Would prefer to go quickly rather than inflict that kind of misery on others.
This is an interesting book to read on the subject of death and dying Amazon.com: Graceful Exits: How Great Beings Die (Death stories of Hindu, Tibetan Buddhist, and Zen masters) (9781590302705): Sushila Blackman: Books Also, I would say that the Woodt Allen movie "Love and Death" is a classic comedy and I would recommend it to anyone who even pretends to have a sense of humor.
The most encouraging thing this old agnostic has heard was Steve Jobs' sister's account of his dying, in her NY Times article. His last words: "Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow."
When my grandma, who was a Christian, spoke her final words they were, "This ain't so bad." and "It's a beautiful place." She passed minutes later. (no joke)
