I know someone who died using MAID here in Canada. I remember receiving an email that started like this: "By the time you read this, I will have departed this earth". It was chilling, and freaky and I read it over and over, in this like, really pronounced almost like I was reading a charter of rights to a King in the medieval times. It was very ... futuristic. I went through the typical emotions- I never really stayed in touch with this person. I hope they knew that I liked them. I wonder when they made the decision? I wonder if it was hard or a no brainer. I felt my stomach drop, or was that my heart? Maybe it was my heart that skipped a beat or two. I felt sadness, and then a feeling of relief that they had relief from their impending dementia.
I don't know how I feel yet but your writing helped to show the various sides of it all, and perhaps that's precisely why I don't have a firm belief. I fear that death will be encouraged, and other options not exhausted. I fear that yes, there may BE a cure just around the corner. And like a Curb episode, we just missed it. But I do feel that for those that are suffering, and in pain, and have no quality of life, we are keeping them alive for us, not for them. And that's why I will support MAID as long as it remains untouched from human nature and greed. But don't know how long we have until that begins..
Woah. I can’t even imagine the feeling of getting an email like that from someone I liked and cared about. 😢 But yeah, at the same time it’s better than extreme suffering.
And also maybe having the option gets people in to actually talk to professionals and maybe change their minds versus them just completely taking matters into their own hands with pills, gun, rope etc.
Not to be grim, but when I read "randonly dying at Walmart," I imagined myself just sort of collapsing on an end cap display and thought that might be a pretty funny way to go. Probably not for my family, but. It was an amusing image.
lol love it. I just chortled reading your comment. Haha. I can def think of worse ways to go. At least Walmart death is a good story for your friends to tell.
I’ll take a surprise passing in the frozen pizza section over a prolonged hospital stay I think.
There is actually a sci-fi compromise between these views that is available right now. It's called "cryothanasia", or the combination of cryonics with euthanasia. The idea is that someone with a terminal disease would have their body preserved and put into stasis with the hope they could be revived in the future. This could bridge the gap between believers in "Don't Die" and "Die With Dignity" for those who are suffering from terminal conditions.
This is an important discussion and glad you are tackling it. Especially as our technological power becomes greater, we may very well one day be directly confronted with whether we want to live forever or not (or whether we say, geez, that 10,000 years was a good run, maybe it’s time to rest now). And, in the meantime, what it means to ethically and gracefully end one’s life. These are definitely wild times and that requires wild contemplation.
Yes! More wild contemplation! As I watched Bryan Johnson’s Netflix doc, I found myself wondering why more people aren’t spending money and hours on the problem of death. It’s the most universally pressing concern, but most just ignore it and believe it’s a given that can’t be overcome. Probably people long ago never imagined we could turn on and off pregnancy by swallowing little pills, and yet we can.
I skimmed the article. I’ll need to find time to read later today. The imagery got me intrigued. Death is always an interesting topic. Looks like you spent some time working with this piece of writing. I’ll definitely add more comment later. Have a nice day.
Great idea. That’s even better. I’m shredding papers today and cleaning my house. I’m not looking forward to this task. Maybe listening to your writing will help. But, as the topic is death, maybe I’m better off with Spotify. Something lighter. 😂
I know someone who died using MAID here in Canada. I remember receiving an email that started like this: "By the time you read this, I will have departed this earth". It was chilling, and freaky and I read it over and over, in this like, really pronounced almost like I was reading a charter of rights to a King in the medieval times. It was very ... futuristic. I went through the typical emotions- I never really stayed in touch with this person. I hope they knew that I liked them. I wonder when they made the decision? I wonder if it was hard or a no brainer. I felt my stomach drop, or was that my heart? Maybe it was my heart that skipped a beat or two. I felt sadness, and then a feeling of relief that they had relief from their impending dementia.
I don't know how I feel yet but your writing helped to show the various sides of it all, and perhaps that's precisely why I don't have a firm belief. I fear that death will be encouraged, and other options not exhausted. I fear that yes, there may BE a cure just around the corner. And like a Curb episode, we just missed it. But I do feel that for those that are suffering, and in pain, and have no quality of life, we are keeping them alive for us, not for them. And that's why I will support MAID as long as it remains untouched from human nature and greed. But don't know how long we have until that begins..
And thank you for sharing this. I love your physical description of how it felt in your body.
Woah. I can’t even imagine the feeling of getting an email like that from someone I liked and cared about. 😢 But yeah, at the same time it’s better than extreme suffering.
And also maybe having the option gets people in to actually talk to professionals and maybe change their minds versus them just completely taking matters into their own hands with pills, gun, rope etc.
I just want everyone to live and want to live!
Not to be grim, but when I read "randonly dying at Walmart," I imagined myself just sort of collapsing on an end cap display and thought that might be a pretty funny way to go. Probably not for my family, but. It was an amusing image.
lol love it. I just chortled reading your comment. Haha. I can def think of worse ways to go. At least Walmart death is a good story for your friends to tell.
I’ll take a surprise passing in the frozen pizza section over a prolonged hospital stay I think.
There is actually a sci-fi compromise between these views that is available right now. It's called "cryothanasia", or the combination of cryonics with euthanasia. The idea is that someone with a terminal disease would have their body preserved and put into stasis with the hope they could be revived in the future. This could bridge the gap between believers in "Don't Die" and "Die With Dignity" for those who are suffering from terminal conditions.
Oooh love that! Hadn’t thought of that. Thank you! But only if it actually works. Fascinating field!
This is an important discussion and glad you are tackling it. Especially as our technological power becomes greater, we may very well one day be directly confronted with whether we want to live forever or not (or whether we say, geez, that 10,000 years was a good run, maybe it’s time to rest now). And, in the meantime, what it means to ethically and gracefully end one’s life. These are definitely wild times and that requires wild contemplation.
Yes! More wild contemplation! As I watched Bryan Johnson’s Netflix doc, I found myself wondering why more people aren’t spending money and hours on the problem of death. It’s the most universally pressing concern, but most just ignore it and believe it’s a given that can’t be overcome. Probably people long ago never imagined we could turn on and off pregnancy by swallowing little pills, and yet we can.
So maybe in the near future we will have “Death Control Pills” the way we have “Birth Control Pills.” 💊
Ok. Interesting image! 😂
😂😂🙏🙏
I skimmed the article. I’ll need to find time to read later today. The imagery got me intrigued. Death is always an interesting topic. Looks like you spent some time working with this piece of writing. I’ll definitely add more comment later. Have a nice day.
Thanks! And you can also listen to it if you have the app. I often listen to longer reads.
Great idea. That’s even better. I’m shredding papers today and cleaning my house. I’m not looking forward to this task. Maybe listening to your writing will help. But, as the topic is death, maybe I’m better off with Spotify. Something lighter. 😂