[smallpoxgirl]

Honestly...scares the hell out of me. Pain doesn't scare me. Being uncomfortable as I die, doesn't scare me. Being dead scares me. Actually, it's not being dead that scares me. It's the absence of being alive that scares me. I like being alive. It's really a cool experience. I think it's absolutely intriguing to watch it all unfold. Life feels to me like 100 pages out of the middle of a novel. If you study hard, you can deduce some of what went on towards the front of the book. The ending, that's complete unknown. I don't like the concept that I'll never know how so many things turned out.

Also I'm a pretty cerebral person. Learning new stuff is a big defining aspect of how I see myself. The idea that all that stuff that I spent so much time learning, in the end it's gonna be nothing more than a snack for some earthworms. That's a pretty hard idea for me to stomach.

[hope_full]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'a')nybody seen that video about a brain doctor who has a stroke and could have died?
everybody I mention it too has seen it.
she made dying, having a stroke seem very pleasant.

[bl00k]

I'm not afraid of death, i'd be sad if i'd die 'young', but no fear. I'm more afraid of becoming handicapped in some way, paralysed for example, than death. I'm not sure how i feel about it in the future but right now i'd rather be dead than handicapped which restricts my movement and freedom.

Sure i like being alive, life's good for me right now, and i'm certainly not suicidal, far from it. But why fear something that's inevitable? I don't know what 'is' for me after my death, therefor the only thing that makes sense is to not fear it. I don't fear the unknown.

[BigTex]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('killJOY', 'J')ust yesterday...

I was carrying our brand new calf from the field where it was born back to the barn. As I was passing the grave of our old horse, which we had put down a month ago, I noticed movement--

I poked with a stick--

There was this liquid bubbling, and a vile smell. Flies.

I came back later and noticed a huge sinkhole, with a hurricane of flies coming out of it. The horse carcass was boiling in the heat. It was awful.

I dumped a can of lime into the hole and then raked dirt into it to stop the smell.

"That's me," I thought.

I hate it.

[idomar]

I am not scared of dying, I am sick of being told the way in which I will die by the British Gov't.

Thier unhealthy obsession with making people live longer only adds to the annoyance. In a radio show called The Now Show on BBC Radio 4 Good British Comedy
they comment that after WWII life expectancy was 68 yrs and the occurence of cancer was 18%, today life expectancy is 78 years and cancer rates are 36%, so we now live longer just to catch cancer.

They want us to live longer so that we can live in poverty in our dotage, now that's logic.

The most unbelievable manifestation of death avoidance is the Health and Safety Executive, due to litigation prevention and ensuring that no one comes to any harm doing anything there are now risk assessments for everything.

example: I was putting some archive boxes onto the top shelf of a filing cabinet by....shock, horror.....lifting the box over my head and putting it on the shelf. The HSE nazi at work, 'spotted' me doing this and I was summoned to attend, LADDER USE TRAINING!!

I then had to sit through a 30 minute training 'workshop' on how to file archive boxes on the top shelf using a ladder. I was instructed to use both hands to climb the ladder until I reached the top, stable platform.

Question, How do I carry the box AND climb the ladder with both hands holding on for safety?

Question, I am 6'2" the top of the Filing cabinet is 6'10", the ceilng is 7'6", the ladder is 3' to the top stable platform?

Answer, just sign the form to say that you were trained, OK!

Read, you cant sue us if you dont use the facilities provided, you were 'trained'.

Screw it, I want an entry in the Darwin Awards!

[darwinsdog]

The Ocean Planet is a wet space rock infested with an organic redox scum we call "life." We are part of that scum. Anything that can be characterized by autocatalysis & self-replication can be considered to be "alive." Selection occurs inexorably because self-replication is never perfect. Elements of low atomic mass (Fe is an exception) cycle thru the biogeochemosphere on various periods, various dwell times in the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere... Some would consider the planet itself to be "alive." Is the xylem of a tree alive? Is your hair, mineral bone, keratinized epidermis... alive? How about a given carbon atom in a functional enzyme - is it "alive." What about that same carbon atom after you rot & it becomes carbon dioxide? We are dying continuously. Apoptosis or "programmed cell death" begins in the early embryo. Cells are dying by the billions in your bodies right now. What even is this thing called "you," that you may/may not be afraid of it dying? Is it the mere purveyor of your ancestors' genes or is it something "special"? How do you know? This thread is stupid.

[manu]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('darwinsdog', 'T')he Ocean Planet is a wet space rock infested with an organic redox scum we call "life." We are part of that scum. Anything that can be characterized by autocatalysis & self-replication can be considered to be "alive." Selection occurs inexorably because self-replication is never perfect. Elements of low atomic mass (Fe is an exception) cycle thru the biogeochemosphere on various periods, various dwell times in the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere... Some would consider the planet itself to be "alive." Is the xylem of a tree alive? Is your hair, mineral bone, keratinized epidermis... alive? How about a given carbon atom in a functional enzyme - is it "alive." What about that same carbon atom after you rot & it becomes carbon dioxide? We are dying continuously. Apoptosis or "programmed cell death" begins in the early embryo. Cells are dying by the billions in your bodies right now. What even is this thing called "you," that you may/may not be afraid of it dying? Is it the mere purveyor of your ancestors' genes or is it something "special"? How do you know? This thread is stupid.

[Olaf]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Precipice', 'S')ome times I fear it, sometimes I feel eerily peaceful about it, and sometimes I both fear it and feel eerily peaceful about it.

I think what really adds to the fear is the sheer incomprehensibility (especially from an emotional pov) of going unconscious and then never waking up ever again.

[lper100km]

Sh*t happens.

[mmasters]

I chose #3

I think we're all infinate beings temporarily trapped in this world because we went down a bad path.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BigTex', 'S')mallpoxgirl, as a physician, I assume you've spent plenty of time around dead bodies and have watched people pass away. Have you learned anything that you didn't already know from seeing that process up close?

[CarlinsDarlin]

Tex,
You are correct. I was also with my father as he passed away. He spent a bit of time in hospice care at home prior to his passing. I watched his deterioration for the year prior to that, though. Once a person has passed, all that is left is the shell. I actually get great comfort from the idea that we are made up of body, soul, and spirit. The body may die, but that is not the end of us. Once he passed away, all that was in front of me was the "shell" as you called it. What makes us, "us" is not the outside shell. It's the inside spirit.
K

[allenwrench]

It's inevitable, but some fear...


We all have the same basic survival instinct in common with one another. Now none of us will be ultimate survivors, we all have to die one day. But the successful survivor extends his or her life beyond an earlier death...a death that was caused by ignorance of how to make that life last longer.

The Taoists have a saying, "fleas come with the dog."

So, I accept there are growth pains as a fair trade off for the privilege of living. But no matter how you slice it, death is tough business for sure.

My mother and father are dying from old age, just as all of us will be sooner or later. Some of us reading this will never even get to old age before we die as well. It is good to be grateful for each day given to us ... rain or shine.

I am always amused by those that are in despair from a rainy day or the snow. I had a couple of close to death experiences and when you recover from them you are grateful for any day irrespective of the weather.

[darwinsdog]

Tell you what, then: Build a spirit trap, catch one & let me photograph, weigh, measure, & dissect it. Then I'll believe they exist.

[CarlinsDarlin]

darwinsdog,
I assume (and please feel free to disregard this if I am wrong) that your recent post was in reply to mine. For the record, I have no desire to convince you to believe spirits exist or not. I could care less whether you believe. What is important to me is that I believe. Your beliefs are your own. Mine are mine. When I start trying to convince you of mine, I'll let you know.
K

[mystiek]

Smallpox what kind of doc are you? My specialty is pediatrics, the death of a child is NEVER easy-even if anticipated-that's the down side of my profession. I still have some parents that email/talk to me every once in awhile even after their child has passed. Even with situations that were congenital-with no chance of survival the parents still carry around this "guilt", always questioning if they did something different during their pregnancy etc. would it have made a difference. My parents/patients have really been helped by Hope Hospice-they provide such a wonderful service. It seems that the parents that use their services cope much better. With my own children, the subject of death comes up now and then. We visited the grave of their grandfather this last weekend and my 4 year old had alot of questions about where is grandpa? Fortunately with our Christian beliefs we teach them about being with Jesus in heaven and its reinforced at church too-so it doesn't make death a horrible "dark" topic.

[darwinsdog]

Actually, CarlinsDarlin, I was responding to manu's post, but my response applies equally to any & all of you supernaturalists who postulate the reality of something without a shred of evidence that it may actually exist. Wallow in your superstition all you want. I could care less. But don't expect me to respect your inane superstition.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('darwinsdog', 'A')ctually, CarlinsDarlin, I was responding to manu's post, but my response applies equally to any & all of you supernaturalists who postulate the reality of something without a shred of evidence that it may actually exist. Wallow in your superstition all you want. I could care less. But don't expect me to respect your inane superstition.

[taizee]

I am fine with death, what I have a problem with is the unnatural interference with it, particularly the hospitalization of Death.

My mother had a stroke in February and almost died only that tubes were put into her. I now believe that she should have been allowed die naturally. Her death process was interfered with by over zealous hospital care and some family members not wanting her to die. She was 79, had a long life, but had symptoms of dementia and had terrible pain for years..... she needed peace. Now she is in a care facility costing a fortune and is not the same person.. and is uncomfortable all the time

Why do we believe in "life" at all costs in our western "Christian " civilization ?

I am so angry. I thought the whole idea of Christianity was that there was eternal life ... why prolong it here ?

If it's time for me to go, let me go. I will write a living will.

[killJOY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')mallpoxgirl, as a physician, I assume you've spent plenty of time around dead bodies and have watched people pass away. Have you learned anything that you didn't already know from seeing that process up close?