It is sad, his son had just graduated college, & I've enjoyed some of Maureen Orth's writing (especially on nation-wide spree-killer Andrew Cunanan) so that is tough cookies for them, especially so suddenly & so (relatively) young. But as the editorial heart is black & our lips are cold, well...
A mere three to four yrs. on us (incl. Mme. "g") & he went just like that, no apparent warning or anything. Indeed, his father is still alive, we think, & in his eighties, though his mother may have died early, so it's hard to tell if there was a genetic aspect.
Kind of a big feller though, & you wonder what his blood pressure, etc. may have beennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnn......[THUD!!]
Actually - a death like this is one of those paradoxes. Good on the death-ee, not so good on the survivors. I lost a good friend this way. After a long life, he had finally achieved happiness. He was with his life-long love, he was in a lush and tropical garden, he was in the lap of happiness. he suffered a massive heart attack and was gone.
is that a happy way to go? For him, maybe yes. For his wife, for his daughters, it was awful.
But how else do you have it? A long lingering death in a hospital bed? That isn't too good on the death-ee, and in the long run, it's not very good on the family, either.
when it's my time, I want to be abandoned on a mountain-top in the wilderness.
The Editor's mother, Eva Braun jr., had a heart attack & was in hospital for about 20 days w/ respirator tube stuffed all the way down her, & lebenty-zillion plugs, tubes, catheters, blah blah blah attached/invading. Not pretty. But we're doing our best to simply explode when the time comes.
Live fast, die as aged as possible, & leave one's body to science.
And definitely go alone, not w/ loved ones witnessing, as in your friend's case. Yeesh.
5 comments:
Hey, you know, I feel for his family. To lose someone so suddenly is awful.
But the hagiography of Tim Russert going on the Tee Vee is just embarrassing. Puhlease! He wasn't Edward Murrow. he wasn't even Walter Cronkite.
Don't look now, but he was only a few years older than us.......
P.
The Only Too Mortal Editor Sez:
It is sad, his son had just graduated college, & I've enjoyed some of Maureen Orth's writing (especially on nation-wide spree-killer Andrew Cunanan) so that is tough cookies for them, especially so suddenly & so (relatively) young. But as the editorial heart is black & our lips are cold, well...
A mere three to four yrs. on us (incl. Mme. "g") & he went just like that, no apparent warning or anything. Indeed, his father is still alive, we think, & in his eighties, though his mother may have died early, so it's hard to tell if there was a genetic aspect.
Kind of a big feller though, & you wonder what his blood pressure, etc. may have beennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
nnnnnn......[THUD!!]
Actually - a death like this is one of those paradoxes. Good on the death-ee, not so good on the survivors. I lost a good friend this way. After a long life, he had finally achieved happiness. He was with his life-long love, he was in a lush and tropical garden, he was in the lap of happiness. he suffered a massive heart attack and was gone.
is that a happy way to go? For him, maybe yes. For his wife, for his daughters, it was awful.
But how else do you have it? A long lingering death in a hospital bed? That isn't too good on the death-ee, and in the long run, it's not very good on the family, either.
when it's my time, I want to be abandoned on a mountain-top in the wilderness.
The Editor Pontificates:
As long as it's swift & painless.
The Editor's mother, Eva Braun jr., had a heart attack & was in hospital for about 20 days w/ respirator tube stuffed all the way down her, & lebenty-zillion plugs, tubes, catheters, blah blah blah attached/invading. Not pretty. But we're doing our best to simply explode when the time comes.
Live fast, die as aged as possible, & leave one's body to science.
And definitely go alone, not w/ loved ones witnessing, as in your friend's case. Yeesh.
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