terrshee's Diaryland Diary

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More Depressing Schaivo Thoughts

More blasting on the multiple TVs in the bureau about Terri Schaivo.

I think that those who are touting the "culture of life" slogans via the Pope (whom I greatly admire in many, many ways) are really more into an "avoidance of death culture."

As occasionally happens in human existence, our technological abilities have outstripped our coping mechanisms. Thus we end up with warehoused people like Mrs. Schaivo who in past generations would have died a natural death in the course of her affliction.

I'm not against perserving the life of the seriously ill or disabled when there is a hope of recovery to some level of functionality.

But it is one of the great insanties of modern medicine that requires that life be preserved at all costs. We subvert nature with drugs and machines even when all that is left is a husk. Sometimes there is a victory and a life is saved, but that's not what I would call the outcome here.

I have no desire to leave this plane of existence and head into the great unknown. I fear dying. But I think there is a lot to say for accepting death when the time has come. Death is unavoidable, so at least one can try to meet it with some measure of dignity. Spending over a decade on a feeding tube in a persistent vegatative state does not seem agree with that idea.

My friends have my permission to put me out of my misery when:

1. I dye my hair carrot red and take to wearing stretch pants and sweaters with fake jewels on them.

2. The things that animate my mind and give me control over my body are irrevocably gone.

Hopefully neither will happen before I'm ninety. And thank the gods my mother has made her wishes known and has a living will. I guess it is time for me to visit a lawyer and do the same.

p.s. I have acquired my metaphoric pink baboon butt, and like it very much.

1:37 p.m. - 2005-03-23
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