Against my better judgement...
I repeat my original response..
"If that's your experience you have my sympathy.
Leaving the stage can be done with grace, wit, and elegance."
Seems pretty easy to defend that statement. I will point out the word CAN.
<<I am assuming you are speaking from experience? Second time around?>>
I'll be the big EIGHT O in 2026 so way more experience than I care to relive at any length. Big family so literally dozens of relatives now departed. Of course I've been in the room for a number. I'm reminded of a poignant comment my mother once made to me- "my friends are all dying". She had lots of friends so that compounded my response and, of course, it's happening to me presently so it's an ongoing experience.
WRT "second time around?" you may be asking if I've had a near death experience? Not me but 40 some years ago I was an attendant for a paraplegic who'd had several near death experiences. As one might deduce an attendant performs the most intimate tasks for their attendee. I'm still a close friend of that person and incredibly inspired by the life he's led. Always good to know inspirational people.
<<There is no grace, wit, or elegance when you are shitting in a diaper, have a tube stuck up your dick, are drugged up but not unaware or without pain. And that's where our society wants to take you.
It is the system's goal to strip you of your humanity before it ever decides to off you. I've seen a lot, and the place I fear the most is the hospital, and the medical doctors are the ones I cringe over when they deal with the dying. These are evil bastards who have relegated caring and kindness to the low paid shift women of some brown race. Coarse shamans who are more interested in paying off their new condo with high priced drug injections, than in honoring their medical code of ethics. They view the dying as having outlived their economic potential return, and sneer in disgust.>>
I'm in the same choir. I avoid what I call 'the medical industry' as much as humanly possible. The operant word is industry with its underlying assumption of the profit motive. My own opinion is that health services are a basic right and at this time in our country the pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and corporations owning hospitals are calling the shots. All of those shots are through the filter of profit at the expense of the general health of our citizens. My wife might say 'don't get him started' and I'm trying not to rant about it. As an aside we have a half dozen very bright medical doctors in our immediate families so, while my opinions are tolerated they aren't popular.
<<If a loved one falls into this trap, speak up, raise Cain!. Make it difficult for them to just push your bretheren into the out bin. Ask questions, demand answers, resist the system. Look for better ways, Get them out of the hospital. It's very hard to do. Particularly when the the goal is relief over the short term. But don't just let them screw your family around. Don't trust without verification.>>
We diverge a bit there as I deem those personal decisions and beyond my purview. My passion is the other side..health. A physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually healthy person has a chance to make that last event graceful at a minimum.
I'll do my best to enjoy today and hope you do as well. |
