Death is a touchy subject. I often think, ‘If I die…’ as opposed to ‘When I die…’ And so do many people I know. But death comes to all. And it’s why classical poets kept human skulls on their desks — a reminder of this undeniable fact. That’s also where the ‘memento mori’ (cherish life) chart comes from. (This is the one with a table of rows and columns with each square representing one week of your life. And you blacken a square when that week is done. Trust me, it’s scary what that chart looks like to the 41-year-old me.)
But back to my point. I want to normalize death when talking to loved ones. No more looking away or denying it. How do I want to die? I want to die with loved ones around me — telling stories and laughing. Or at least sitting together sharing our love. But recently I’ve been thinking about how George Clooney died in the movie ‘Gravity.’ He saved Sandra Bullock by pushing her towards their space craft, but that made him drift away and presumably die. I think that’s a scary way to go. But a friend said that she’d actually love to be alone with her thoughts as she’s cruising away from Earth. Now, this friend had just had a harsh falling out with her boss — so she was likely just venting. Lol. But as a thought experiment, I’m fascinated with which death suits which type of person. I.e., have loved ones around you? Jettison yourself into space? Or deny/fight death to the very end — as the poet Dylan Thomas said: ‘rage, rage against the dying of the light.’