Gentle into that good night

Strawberry Fields, Central Park, NY - March 1997

Some weeks ago I read an article that I so strongly identified and agreed with, I felt the need to share it.
But the subject matter being so morbid and depressing, I mulled over it for quite a long time before I decided to pull the trigger (bad pun not intended).

The article is by an american medical doctor, and is titled How Doctors Die.

How would you like to die? Or in what manner would you wish a loved one in your family to go? Ever thought about it? For many guys, it's a no-brainer - the best way to go is to burst an aneurysm while having sex, or while having an orgasm, or better yet, while having an orgasm during sex - but not all of us can be so lucky.
As a windsurfer, I always thought the second best way to go was to be struck by lightning while windsurfing at hyper speed through a massive storm.
I'm not sure what the ladies' choice will be though...maybe in the midst of a relaxing facial or while shopping inside a Hermes boutique or whatever....



For good or bad, I happen to be in a profession which enables me to witness death and the process of dying far more frequently than the average Joe (no, nice try, but I don't work in banking nor finance, sorry), and I can assure you - there are many ways to go, some in peace and with quiet dignity, others with a fair bit of pain, drama and commotion.

Sometimes, for example, if you were run over by a bus or shot by a crazed fan, you don't or won't have much of a choice, but most of the time, most people will have the luxury of time to plan how they'd like to go.
In a cold hospital trolley with a tube sticking out of every orifice and alarms going off all around? Or in the warmth and comfort of your own bed, with the remote and the bottle of whiskey at the bedside, the TV set to the sports channel, and surrounded by family and loved ones?

Most people, I'm sure, will chose the latter option, especially if that bottle by the bedside is a single malt, but if so, why is there still so much of the former happening? Is it because these guys and/or their families don't know any better? Never had a frank chat with their trusted family doctor? Never seen the inside of an Advanced Medical Directive?

I'm sure this is too much to stomach for most people already, so I won't go on further, but now that you do know a little better, I think this is something worth pondering about for a bit - if not for yourself, then perhaps for an elder in your family - don't you agree?

So what's it gonna be - facial or boutique?