how do you feel about watching people die?

[dolf]

yeah, i asked.

 

[cjh]

Depends on the death.

 

[pink]

I watched my Dad die.


I have mixed emotions about it.

 

[BotanyBoy]

People die all the fucking time, big deal. Some day it will be you, just hope it's quick.

 

[HornyVikingMN]

yeah, i asked.

Are you talking about the final moments, or the decline leading up to it? I haven't witnessed the moment of death, but I've got a front row seat to the decline of my father. It ain't pretty. In his case, I'd say that I want to be there when the moment comes.

 

[doctor_insanus]

I watched my stepdad die from cancer over the course of a year. I was there when he finally went.

Not something I really wanted to see, but I'm glad I was there.

 

[dolf]

Depends on the death.

true enough. expand a little though?

I watched my Dad die.

I have mixed emotions about it.

sorry about that.

 

[dolf]

Are you talking about the final moments, or the decline leading up to it? I haven't witnessed the moment of death, but I've got a front row seat to the decline of my father. It ain't pretty. In his case, I'd say that I want to be there when the moment comes.

both.

sometimes death is like switching off a light, and sometimes you just watch the bulb fade as the batteries run flat... it's still watching the lights go out

if it's not too upsetting for people, i'm really interested in your thoughts, the feelings, what seemed to become important to them near the end.

 

[cjh]

true enough. expand a little though?

sorry about that.

Sure.

I've seen two terrible motorcycle accidents involving strangers. The carnage unnerved me. I can only imagine what it must be like to watch a loved one die a sudden, violent death. Well, no, I probably cannot. I just know it must be traumatizing.

I've watched executions where the condemned were at peace with their fates. Mixed emotions, but manageable.

I've watched a long-senile relative die. That was a relief. Sad, but a relief.

 

[CHNOPS]

Seen a lot of death. Family members and strangers. Had children older, so struggle all the time with THEIR inevitable early loss of me. I would like to feel equanimity about it and mean it when I say, hey, we're all going to die, the trick is to live your best. But the fact is, I find it a giant rip-off.

There is no good way to permanently lose someone you love, and no good way to watch another person die, or many people all at once, as I did.

I have a different relationship with my father now, and of course he's never completely left me. But I'd give anything to have had him for another decade or so. I hope my kids get me until I'm 170. But they won't.

Etc.

Death blows.

 

[lovetoread]

It depends on how much I was paid for the hit.

 

[thør]

It depends on how much I was paid for the hit.

Cha-Ching

 

[dolf]

Sure.

I've seen two terrible motorcycle accidents involving strangers. The carnage unnerved me. I can only imagine what it must be like to watch a loved one die a sudden, violent death. Well, no, I probably cannot. I just know it must be traumatizing.

I've watched executions where the condemned were at peace with their fates. Mixed emotions, but manageable.

I've watched a long-senile relative die. That was a relief. Sad, but a relief.

i had forgotten about the executions. i wouldn't know how to wrap my head around that one.

Seen a lot of death. Family members and strangers. Had children older, so struggle all the time with THEIR inevitable early loss of me. I would like to feel equanimity about it and mean it when I say, hey, we're all going to die, the trick is to live your best. But the fact is, I find it a giant rip-off.

There is no good way to permanently lose someone you love, and no good way to watch another person die, or many people all at once, as I did.

I have a different relationship with my father now, and of course he's never completely left me. But I'd give anything to have had him for another decade or so. I hope my kids get me until I'm 170. But they won't.

Etc.

Death blows.

but then, sometimes the not dying bit blows too.
sometimes what's left of life just drags and it would be easier for all if it would just stop.

it does all seem like a bit of a rip.

 

[Bad_Doggie]

yeah, i asked.

Thank fuck it's not me.

Woof!

 

[Bad_Doggie]

But I'd give anything to have had him for another decade or so. I hope my kids get me until I'm 170. But they won't.

I’d settle for a day, to say all that wasn’t said. I guess they knew anyway.

Woof!

 

[BotanyBoy]

both.

sometimes death is like switching off a light, and sometimes you just watch the bulb fade as the batteries run flat... it's still watching the lights go out

if it's not too upsetting for people, i'm really interested in your thoughts, the feelings, what seemed to become important to them near the end.

I have seen a bunch of people die...a shit load compared to your average John Q Public.

It quit upsetting me when I was about 10 and realized death is the inevitable finish line for all, it could come at any time. From disease, accident, murder, natural disaster and sometimes even a freak occurrence that snatches you from existence in the blink of an eye, like a 7.62x51R round with your name on it coming out of deep left field.

So live in spite of death, not in fear of it....you have to realize and accept that some day you will die and it might not be when your 80 and surrounded by family, enjoy it while it last.

Family(birth or choice) is by far the most important to the dying. Parents, siblings, wife, kids, BFF's they always want to see them just one last time no matter what race/culture/language/nation they come from.

Seen a lot of death. Family members and strangers. Had children older, so struggle all the time with THEIR inevitable early loss of me. I would like to feel equanimity about it and mean it when I say, hey, we're all going to die, the trick is to live your best. But the fact is, I find it a giant rip-off.

There is no good way to permanently lose someone you love, and no good way to watch another person die, or many people all at once, as I did.

I have a different relationship with my father now, and of course he's never completely left me. But I'd give anything to have had him for another decade or so. I hope my kids get me until I'm 170. But they won't.

Etc.

Death blows.

But then again maybe I'm just a sociopath who has seen enough to just not give a shit about it anymore? *shrug*

 

[RobDownSouth]

yeah, i asked.

Creepy topic, even for you.

 

[Liar]

I was with my grandpa when he died a few weeks ago. His mind got killed by Alzheimers long before that though, so it was just a matter of the meat machine that housed it to take notice. What I felt? Nothing but relief. Probably would have reacted diffently if he'd actually been there, but that's speculation. Never had the... um... pleasure?

 

[VaticanAssassin]

People say if you see it enough you become imune...... I have seen a lot and do not think that is true. It sucks each time. You just learn how to hide the feelings better.

 

[dolf]

I was with my grandpa when he died a few weeks ago. His mind got killed by Alzheimers long before that though, so it was just a matter of the meat machine that housed it to take notice. What I felt? Nothing but relief. Probably would have reacted diffently if he'd actually been there, but that's speculation. Never had the... um... pleasure?

my sympathies dementia is cruel.

 

[warrior queen]

Death makes me feel sad, if I know the person.
What I have more trouble with, is the morbid cultural thing we in the west do to the body. Turning it from a dead thing into something resembling the living. Makeup, embalming, dressing for viewing.
Death in other places is celebrated as an end to a life well lived. It's seen as a completely natural part of existance.
Death in the west is mourning a life over, and then doing everything to make the person look like they haven't died.

 

[about_average]

I've seen a fair number of people die, the majority while I and others worked to keep them alive. It's difficult, but you resign yourself to it.
For me, even harder is seeing severely traumatized people struggling to stay alive. Even when they live, those are memories I try to avoid.

 

[BoyNextDoor]

It depends on how much I was paid for the hit.

Awesome

 

[Noor]

There was a year which I refer to the year of watching people die needless deaths.

It started with 2 people get decapitated by air bags, didn't realize it at first just watched the car flame over. The body parts confirm this. I was sad of course, but they had no idea what happened. I wondered why I had to see the body parts I did until a couple years later when another victim recognized me from the accident and I was able to relieve her mind that there was literally nothing she could have done to help her parents.

I also watched a man get run down, he was able to squeeze my hand but he died from internal injuries

then another death...

I don't like watching people die, as to my being there, if they are conscious and dying it seems important that they not die alone.

Its easier when death is expected and comes as a relief.

In some ways it was a lot easier when I was an EMT and the people would already be dead when we got there. If you can revive someone with CPR great, but basically you are working with a dead person when you start.

 

[Noor]

People say if you see it enough you become imune...... I have seen a lot and do not think that is true. It sucks each time. You just learn how to hide the feelings better.

I go kind of numb and back in EMT mode at unexpected death.

The past few years I have lost so many people I have lost count and while it makes me sad, I am getting used to it. Sometimes I see something and think, I have to call X and tell them, and then I remember they are dead. Certain times of the year are harder than others.