afraid to die?

[MTK]

On a related note, does anyone believe in life after death or reincarnation?

My practical side says when you die that's it, it's like switching off a light, and you just cease to exist.

But you can't help but wonder what else there may be...

[GhettoDogAllStars]

I'm not really afraid of death. I certainly want to avoid it, but thinking about it doesn't change my emotions much at all.

The only time thinking about death provokes emotion, is when I think of the people who love me, that I would leave behind. I don't like thinking about that. It's not really possible, but I hope I outlive everyone that loves me.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by saden1

I honestly don't fear death. We all have to go sometime so there is no sense worrying about it. Ideally I would like to die when I am between 75 and 80 years of age.

p.s. We can all easily be behind the wheel of this car tomorrow:

Yeah that could definitely be any of us on our way home from work.

That's scary to me, having worked auto claims for a year I saw a few instances of someone on their way home from work and one small mistake cost them their lives.

Dealing with the families afterwards was always heartbreaking. One minute their sons or daughters were simply driving somewhere, the next they're wrapped around a telephone poll, dead on impact.

[Lady Brave]

I'm not really afraid of death, because I believe in salvation and a heaven. I am more afraid of how I will die.

I went on a rafting trip last year and after going over a 14 foot rapid, the raft flipped and I got stuck underneath both the raft and a boulder. Even though I was scared, I didn't panic and at one point I felt very peaceful like no matter what happened I would be ok either way. I was out of air by the time I re-surfaced. I do know that I don't want to die by drowning though.

[BDBohnzie]

I came to grips with this reality (again) when I found out my family is putting my Dad's parents into assisted living. You grow up with a certain vision of what your grandparents (or parents for that matter) look like to you, and then in one fell swoop, it comes crashing down and you realize how mortal they, and you, really are. While I know it's for the best, I'm still having a tough time with it.

Then you have my Mom's Father (Mom's Mother passed 12 years ago) who broke his hip 3 weeks ago, and two weeks after surgery was walking without a cane or walker and going through Rehab like a walk in the park. He's the same age as my Dad's Father. It's weird how things work sometimes.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

I'm not really afraid of death, because I believe in salvation and a heaven. I am more afraid of how I will die.

I went on a rafting trip last year and after going over a 14 foot rapid, the raft flipped and I got stuck underneath both the raft and a boulder. Even though I was scared, I didn't panic and at one point I felt very peaceful like no matter what happened I would be ok either way. I was out of air by the time I re-surfaced. I do know that I don't want to die by drowning though.

I'm 100% agreement with this biblical teaching.

[Southpaw]

We have these things around my area that they call retirement villages. It's basically an apartment complex and community center, just for seniors. They're allowed to do whatever they want(go to Mcdonalds, ballgame, skydiving, etc.), but they can also get assistance if they wish, and they are around their peers. It's basically the same concept as assisted living, but it allows them to keep their independence. I volunteered at one of them for a weekend, and it seemed to me that most of the folks there loved it.

[Lady Brave]

I do know that I want a lot of laughter at my funeral. No sadness. Well, maybe a little. I also want HTTR played at some point during the service.

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

I do know that I want a lot of laughter at my funeral. No sadness. Well, maybe a little. I also want HTTR played at some point during the service.

TOTAL Class move with the HTTR

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

I came to grips with this reality (again) when I found out my family is putting my Dad's parents into assisted living. You grow up with a certain vision of what your grandparents (or parents for that matter) look like to you, and then in one fell swoop, it comes crashing down and you realize how mortal they, and you, really are. While I know it's for the best, I'm still having a tough time with it.

Then you have my Mom's Father (Mom's Mother passed 12 years ago) who broke his hip 3 weeks ago, and two weeks after surgery was walking without a cane or walker and going through Rehab like a walk in the park. He's the same age as my Dad's Father. It's weird how things work sometimes.

The closest I've ever been to death was probably in the months leading up to my next door neighbor's passing a little over a year ago.
I'd lived next door to him for years and he was always this strong older guy (mid 60s) who loved doing yard work and gardening and all that sort of stuff. Then he was diagnosed with cancer and he started to go pretty quick.
He lost a ton of weight and and couldn't do much of anything for himself anymore. Since my mom is a nurse we used to go over to his house to help his wife change his sheets or get him out of the hospital bed that they had to put in their living room.
Once his wife frantically pounded on our door because he fell out of bed when she was trying to change his clothes. When I got there he just seemed to sad and helpless.
When he finally did pass away, in a hospice, I felt so relieved for him and his widow because at least all that pain and suffering was over. It was obviously very sad, but almost good at the same time.

Until then I obviously knew I was going to die one day, but I never really had to face death first hand (both my grandfathers passed away before I was born and my grandmothers are still with us).
After seeing my neighbor go I don't think I'm really afraid of dying so much as I am afraid that I will feel like I didn't live my life to the fullest when it is my time. At the same time, I guess I am sort of afraid that I could get into a freak accident and go at any minute, but I know that I can't let that fear keep me from living my life. I guess I'd rather die while climbing a mountain at age 30 (God forbid) than spend my whole life sitting on my ass and die alone and bored at 90.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

I do know that I want a lot of laughter at my funeral. No sadness. Well, maybe a little. I also want HTTR played at some point during the service.

Nice. I've said the same thing before, and that's why I love the idea of an Irish wake. You should be celebrating the person's life instead of just mourning their lose (with due respect, of course).

my dad has joked in the past that when he goes he wants to be stuffed, dressed in a tux with a martini in one hand and a cigar in the other and he wants us to have a huge party. That's a little morbid, but I get what he's saying.

[Schneed10]

I'm not religious, so I don't believe in an afterlife really. But there's so little we know about Neuroscience, that who the hell knows what goes on in your brain when you die.

If chemical imbalances can cause depression, bipolar disorder, and stuff like that, what happens chemically when our brains cease to get oxygen and carbon dioxide builds up? I mean, we know the brain tissue dies, but we don't know how the brain reacts to that chemical change. Does it release a signal making us think there's a white light? Does it release a signal feeling like endorphins? Hell, for all we know, a dying brain's chemical changes could release us into a vivid world that seems like heaven. For all we know, heaven could be inside our own minds.

That's what is so trippy, to me. We have no idea what our brain's going to do when we die. Will it do anything, and if so, how long will it last before the screen goes totally blank?

[Schneed10]

By the way, great thread dude. Sure beats bitching at each other about thread titles.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Schneed, you just blew my fucking mind! I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter.

(neat, no more language filter)

[hesscl34]

You guys are freaking me out!!!