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Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Life and Death in the Boondocks

It is interesting that most (if not, in fact, all) people can see situations where they would rather die than extend their lives a short while.  This involves considerations of quality of life but it also to very many involves considerations of cost and of difficulty for others.

When I decided to take residence in a place far out of town, where it takes a couple hours to get into town over largely dirt roads and without a hint of emergency service of any sort, my friends were astonished -- "What if you have a heart attack or something?"

Well, I have taken some measures, but I figure the money I save, the peace and quiet and clean air and beautiful surroundings I now live in make it a worthwhile trade, especially since I seriously doubt that any condition I can't survive for at least a couple hours getting me to hospital would be a condition I would want to survive anyway.  Using up my estate on keeping me alive in hospital and probably in pain for a few extra weeks, or in a comatose condition for however long, does not seem a reasonable deal.

Of course there are two elements that need thinking about in this context.  One is that illness is complex, and there are many disabling and even painful illnesses that still warrant continuing.  The second is that death is it.  Death is for eternity -- one is no more -- and this has a scary effect if not put in perspective.  It is not something to rush into.

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