Friday, August 31, 2007

What a way to go

So, Swearing Mother got me to thinking about ways people die. Lightning strikes sound quick, and it would certainly be memorable in the family lore. In my own family, one man was killed by a goose that flew through his windshield. Another had his head knocked off while sticking it out the window of a street car. Can you imagine? My grandpa died in Las Vegas waiting for a taxi. He'd gone out there with my brother and my mom for a vacation, which turned out to be a permanent one for him. Of course, there are the withering old people like my dad and his sister. My dad was so close to death for so long that when the doctor said this was really it, I hardly felt anything. Just couldn't get worked up anymore. I got worked up later--I knew about 10 people who died that year so I had ample opportunity.

Having seen people go in different ways, I decided that it would be nice to be able to say goodbye, but I don't really want to linger; it's too hard on everyone. And if I can die in a humorous fashion, so much the better for my family. Death sucks--it would be nice if they had something to laugh at eventually. Just no Darwin Awards, please. I don't want it to be that memorable.

What are some of your crazy death stories?

2 comments:

laurie said...

oooh boy you KNOW i have a lot.

my grandfather's older brother died because he was walking on the top of a train and the train went through a tunnel.

yeah, i know you're thinking no, laurie, that's a roadrunner cartoon. but it's a true story.

a little girl named ellen (i'm unclear on the relationship--my dad's cousin verne told us this story when we were on the Great St. Joe Cemetery Tour of 1999) died because she ran up to throw some leaves onto a bonfire an they blew back and ignited her dress.

yes, sad, but it was a LONG time ago. a hundred years.

he told another story of another long-lost relative who took the horse into town on christmas eve and the horse came back to the farm alone later that night. they went out looking for him and found him dead along the side of hte road. nobody knows what (or who?) killed him.

shall i go on? and i think i need to go check out swearing mother's blog again.

Amy said...

Can you go on? Please do.

There's another one in my history tickling my memory, but it remains a tickle. I should talk to my brother. He's done a lot of family research.