Trapped, falling, fire! Death - what do you think.

In My Humble Opinion
1

The recent Russian submarine troubles started me thinking about death. Do you want to know it’s coming, such as cancer? Do you want it quick like a bullet to the brain? Do you fear it?

I do not “fear” death and for the most part accept it will happen. At times certain ways of dying scare me, usually when they involve something slow like: “being stuck on the bottom of the ocean with a limited supply of air”. Falling a great distance really scares me. The fall may be fun, but the sudden stop would be a bummer. Kidding aside, being aware of impending death bothers me. I would much rather die a quick death. If I could pick my death, a sudden heart attack just after being put to sleep by great sex.

2

Quick is the way to go. The only possible benefits to drawn-out death (namely Cancer or AIDS) is that you could finish any final desires (telling family/friends you love them, parachuting, whatever). But this one pretty much solves itself.

3

All methods are bad. Death sucks ass.

4

It’s not so much death I fear, but rather any pain that might be involved beforehand. As such, most violent means (e.g., a bullet to the brain) don’t particularly appeal to me, since there is always the chance of lingering in agony before the end comes. Yeah, I’m a wimp that way.

A slow death doesn’t really scare me, either. Running out of air, for example, doesn’t seem to me to be such a bad way to go (you get kind of tired, and will most likely pass out well before actual death) - but then I’m a bit of a morbid freak. At any rate, I’m sure running out of air is better than drowning.

On the other hand, a slow, lingering death gives you more time to contemplate the realities of the situation, to dwell on what you will no longer get to experience, etc.; to many, the slow route is probably the more frightening because of this.

5

Actually you wouldent feel a bullet going through your brain. For me quick or slow doesent really matter. I would want to know its coming and I would not fear it.

6

Oh, boy. What to say, what to say… I feel as though I’m scared of it and not at the same time. I know inevitably, I am going to die, but I just don’t like the thought of what it encompasses. I myself, believing that God simply does not exist, believe that death is nothing more than going to sleep without any dreams or ever waking up again. When I really start to think about it seriously, it’s usually at three o’clock in the morning when it’s pitch black. I’ve had quite a few panic attacks over the thought of it and it scares the hell out of me that something that is going to happen is able to do that to me.

7

I also believe that death is final; no afterlife, no nothing. It used to freak me out too, but I’m pretty much ok with it now. I just live as though every day might be the last one.

As for how I go, I just don’t want to go out in front of helpless bystanders. I especially don’t want any of my family or close friends to have to witness it. How selfless, eh? And if it’s by violence, trust me - I’ll go down swinging!

To quote my friend Magnus, bassist for the Crown:
“When you go you go forever - When you go you go alone - When you go you won’t remember - When you go you’ll never leave”

So try not to get sad about it, just KICK OUT THE JAMS!

8

Personally, I’m going to live forever…

or die trying.

9

Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw that said:
“I plan to live forever - so far, so good!”

10

I would like to be walking down the street and spontaneously explode. It would be instantaneous, flashy, and guarantee me a spot on the evening news. Come to think of it, I would have lots of spots all over the place.

Really, I don’t know what to say here. I would like to think that I could sort of “wrap everything up” as it were with warning, but I really don’t want to see it coming. Those poor guys in the sub are doubly screwed because it’s waiting for them, but they aren’t even able to speak to their families or try to set things in order. Just damp, dark, and cold.

11

The funny thing (if it can be called that) is that having them down there is pointless. We’ve talked it over, no one really wants to kill each other any more, we don’t need massive ships of destruction. They’re casualties of a war that was over years ago. Again, pointless.

Part of what drove me mad was realizing just how inconsequential I was, and how little the universe was going to miss my passing. I’ve pretty well come to grips with it, but I still have to be careful not to stare too long into that particular abyss.

12

Oh, I forgot. I would like to die in bed at age 104, shot by a jealous lover.

13

Slow or fast doesn’t really matter. As long as slow does not carry painful with it. I think I’d like to know it was coming. As far in advance as possible, in fact. Actually, though it sounds morbid, I’m actually kind of looking forward to it. I don’t particularly believe in an afterlife, but it would be cool if there was, and the mystery of it would finally be over.

14

Quick, please, thank you.

When I was an ICU nurse, I saw, and was party to, a number of slow deaths, a number not particularly painful. No matter, they sucked anyway. And it wasn’t being in the hospital, or heroic measures, that made it suck. It was being there, but not being there, losing one’s independence, one’s functional abilities. I have my plans already to off myself if I get within site of that.

What freaks me out the most is those situations, such as some accidents, where people feel fine, are fine, but know they are going to die soon. The Titanic - standing on the deck, scanning the horizon, hoping, wishing, to see a ship, knowing one is not going to arrive in time, and knowing in twenty or thirty minutes you’re going into that cold, cold water, and it’s going to kill you. And looking at your wife, or husband, or child, and knowing that they are going to die too, You’re healthy as a horse, but you’re going to die, so are they, and you’re both scared, and there is no “it’ll be alright”, or “we’ll make it ok together” to allay those fears, and not a damn thing you or anyone else can do about it. Same thing with a situation like TWA-800. Big explosion, front of plane falls off, most of fuselage keeps flying for a bit, and you sit there thinking “whoa, this isn’t good. I don’t think we can make a good over-water approach without a front to this thing. In a few minutes, I’m dead.” Then the plane noses over, and just starts falling. Maybe you’re flying alone, and there is no one to hold on to, and you just look at the book you’re reading, knowing you’ll never know how it ends, and through your fear it makes you just so damn sad. Even capital punishment. Guard comes to the cell, says “it’s time, Jake”, and you think, or you say, “ok, just one more minute”, but they can’t play that game, and firmly indicate so. You feel fine, but you know in a matter of minutes you’ll be dead, and every single thing you try to etch into your consciousness, for it is the last thing you’ll see, hear, taste, read, think…as if it will make some difference once you are gone to have really paid attention those last few minutes.

Whew, that was long. I guess you can see I get a bit freaked if I think on this too much.

As others have said, “dead” doesn’t bother me - I won’t be around to miss anything. “Dying” is what worries me.

Thanks for the catharsis.

I’m going to bed now.

Shaky Jake

15

Shaky, I COMPLETELY agree with you. Your post was so disturbing it made me want to curl up and go to sleep. It’s not death I’m afraid of, it’s fear. (Hmmm, a famous quote comes to mind.) I don’t care how I die, I just don’t want to know it’s happening. If I have to drown, I want to be knocked unconcious first. If I’m in a plane crash, I don’t want to know about it. I wish I could hire someone to follow me around and promise to knock me over the head with a baseball bat in the event of my awareness of impending death.
goes to check the yellow pages