Actually, I think "dead" is the easy part. From what I've seen, dying can be downright agonizing. I ain't afraid of being dead, it's the getting there that has me a bit worried. For all our technological advances, caode blue response still seems too much like mideval torture to me. My last great hope in life will be that I get to die in my sleep, never having known the pain of the transition, or maybe in the act of sacrifice, but not having to go through rescusitation.

Back in the 80s I knew of a guy that was rescucitated 14 times. The EMTs nicknamed him "Rescuci-Tucker" because he was as good as the practice dummy "Rescuci-Annie" for them. He would feel an attack coming on and be able to let someone know in time to get a response before succombing (always had the attacks in a public setting). He'd wake up in the ambulance and start pulling off all the ekg and iv stuff and head home. Of course, the last attack he had he wasn't in a public setting, so he didn't make it.

Anyways, I would prefer to get from point a to point b as quickly and easily as possible. I do not want my last, feeble moments here on earth to be spent laying on a table cold and naked with people sticking needles in my arms and chest and then being electrocuted a half dozen times while hearing the lamentations of my loved ones in the background. I am considering having "DNR" tatooed across my chest in big bold letters.

It wouldn't take much lobbying to make me a pro-euthanasia supporter. I don't know if that sounds chicken-sh*t or practical, but I will freely admit some of the ways I've seen good people die under the best of circumstances scares the heck outta me.

I reckon there's no getting around that, though. It is as much a part of life as being born. I just wish there was a more certain method of transaction.