For the record: If I should die before I wake...

[capri0mni]

The whole sorry episode with Terry Schiavo got Dad and me talking.

My mother made it very easy for us. She made it perfectly clear that when she died, she wanted to be cremated, and have her ashes spread on the compost pile. And that's where she went... well some of her. We also scattered her ashes around the places she swam, and where she stayed in the summer.

So, for the sake of making it easier on others, I said to my father, and I'll post it here: that if it ever comes down to it, I would not want any feeding tubes or other artificial support. If I get into that vegetative state where nothing is working but my brainstem, think of the 14 days or so of winding down as a fast in preparation for my last great journey.

And, as for what to do with my remains, my firstest choice would be to have my body donated to The Body Farm at the University of Tennessee. It's the one, currently legal, way I can think of for my body tor return to Mother Earth "as-is." (and it would also help bring justice to murder victims -- which isn't a bad legacy to leave behind). If that's not feasible at the time I die, go ahead and cremate me. But whatever you do, please don't embalm me and pump me full of chemicals. They won't stop the decay forever, and sooner or later, all that fermaldihyde is going to seep into the soil, eventually... we don't use graveyards for farmland, now... but maybe in 100 years or so, we will.

Besides, one of my favorite ghost stories claims that your soul must wander this earth until the worms and other beasties have finished eating every last bit of your flesh. I don't know if that's literally true, but I like it as a metaphor: individual living beings must die... but Life Lives. Try to thwart that cycle, and you become trapped by it.

Okay, we now return you to your regularly scheduled LJ silliness...

Comments

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

I believe in order for it to be 'official', you need to file what's called a DMA with your primary care physician, so that it's on record. I intend to do just that the next time I see mine.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

yeah... I realize this isn't an official thing, and this isn't a replacement for that. But I just figured that the more people who know the better... and that it's good, in general to talk about these things -- get them out in the open.

'DMA,' huh? okay... thanks for the info.

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

I would like my body to be allowed to go back to the Earth. You don't actually have to be embalmed, at least not in MA. But I don't think they can just plant you in the ground, which is too bad. A pine box would be the next best thing, I suppose. I'd like to have a tree planted over me, like an apple.

I'd rather not be cremated, only because I don't want to contribute to air pollution. I've done enough of that in life, driving a car.

Being made into a diamond has its appeal, but is not especially practical. :)

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Being made into a diamond has its appeal, but is not especially practical.

Yeah... what's anyone going to do with that? You'd make an awfully morbid engagement ring:

"Would you marry me? And would you wear my dead friend on your finger?"

um... no thanks.