I wrote this on a ship about 600 miles northeast of Bermuda, inspired in part by a comment from one of my readers.
I am not afraid of dying. I am afraid of suffering and dependency. So much of modern medicine is focussed on delaying death, and not enough is focused on making the most of the life we have. Extraordinary measures are taken to fend off the grim reaper for a few months or weeks, days or even hours, often extending misery. I am sure there are a few moments of joy, special moments in those moments of cheating our fate, but are they worth the physical cost?
I have traveled, flown, taken boats, trains, driven, walked, ran and swam in the most interesting place. I have had tea with Archbishop of Canterbury, and floated over the Swiss border in a Zeppelin. I have been lots of exciting places. I fully expect to die with a list of places I would love to see, experiences I would have loved to have enjoyed. But when my time to go comes, none of that matters. My one wish is that the end be sudden. I don't want days or weeks of death delaying medical care.
Do I expect to die anytime soon. No. But then one never knows. I am sure I will be a little surprised - maybe even disappointed when it happens, but every living thing dies. Why should I expect to be any different?
Another line from Jimmy Buffett, "I'd sooner die when I am living, then live when I am dead."
So have that cheeseburger in paradise, dance the last tango in Paris, take the last plane out of Dublin (we did the day Covid closed the world to travel), hug your loved ones, tell your special someone "I Love You" every time you can. I want my last words to the Sweet Bear to be "I love you!"
I’m with you (and Jimmy Buffett)!
ReplyDeleteKeep having fun while we can .
DeleteYour conclusion is nice. But there is something inherent humans to live, and fight against death, no matter how they suffer. A generalisation, of course. A sudden death is good though. My Ray, had no worries five hours after he felt unwell.
ReplyDeleteLife is surprisingly resilient, and fragile at the same time.
DeleteYou express the sentiments of many of us!
ReplyDeleteI try.
DeleteI agree!
ReplyDeleteTo make this happen, we need to let our family, friends and docs know.
DeleteGood thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
DeleteWow, exactly how I feel! Well said.
ReplyDeleteUrging people to talk about what they want, was a part of my work for 25 years.
Delete❤️🧡💛💚💙💜❤️🧡💛💚💙💜❤️🧡💛💚💙💜❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 🥰
ReplyDeleteLove you!
DeleteI can agree with a lot of what you're saying. A part of me hopes to get very quick, so quick that I don't even know what happened.
ReplyDeleteThere is research that shows that sometimes brain activity continues for 15-30 seconds after the heart stops, so it is possible to be dead, and fully aware of it.
DeleteVery well said. My mom was in assisted care for six years. Her Alzheimer's really got bad the last 1.5 years of her life and her quality of life was not good. The Hospice doctor recommended comfort care. I was her medical POA...the hardest "yes" I've ever said. This was during the COVID lockdown, too.
ReplyDeleteI hope that I have said how I feel clearly enough and often enough, that if someone is ever asked to make that decision, they know it is what I would want.
DeleteThank you so much for this informative post! I’ve been looking into the 4 days golden triangle tour, and this gave me all the details I needed. It sounds like the perfect itinerary to experience the highlights of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur in just a few days.
ReplyDelete