It's The Humane Thing To Do

Well another one has gone down. Yes dear friends, one of my friends has had to take her dog to the vets and put her dog down. Why you may ask? Who knows, and who cares? that last reference was not meant to be a callous one. Oh contrare. It was meant as a measuring stick for how we treat our pets and why we don't give ourselves the same thought process.

A few years back our little mutt got extremely ill from some flame retardant she got hold of, unbeknownst to us. With that said, her entire digestive tract was being destroyed. And shortly after her ingesting this chemical we had to put her to sleep. It tore us apart for weeks to come, but we knew in our hearts that she was better off. Why you may ask, well there are a couple of reasons. 1) She no longer had to suffer(for she already had a week of discomfort. 2) She could have had surgery, but the vet could not guarantee her being better after a very expensive surgery.

Why can't we have that same option for our human loved ones? Why do we feel the need to keep them alive if they are living vegetables. Or better yet, why can't our final wishes be observed and take it a step further past a DNR(Do Not Resuscitate) and let us say when our end should come.

This may come off as a backing for suicide, which it isn't, and which I am not 100% against either. Why shouldn't we be allowed to choose when we leave this place called home. We definitely do not have a say in when we arrive, it is the least we can do to give us the choice as to when we depart.

There was a very touching Star Trek episode(The Captain Picard series) called, 'Half a Life'. To this day, it is still one of my most favorite episodes. It is about a race that takes their own lives at the age of 60, leaving life to the young.

Take a look here: Half a Life Clip

I can see both sides to the argument they were having. But in the end, should we all not have the right to end our lives when we still have some dignity left and not be kept around while some attendant is wiping our backside. How cruel is that? I know that when I am no longer a productive member of society, then I no longer want to take up space. I am but just a tiny blip in the big scheme of things. That is not to say I feel my life is not worth anything. Just thee opposite. I know in my heart of hearts I am making a huge difference in the lives of the people I come in contact with. You may also think that is an arrogant, pompous way of thinking of ones self, but I disagree.

I see thee effect I have on people when I tell them about a better way of eating. I love it when my AVON customers get their bags and they get their products. The list goes on. But when I can no longer have an effect on peoples lives, then I am done here and the baton should be passed on. I know how I will be talked about when I am dead and gone, and I am AOK with that. That is not arrogance, that is self-confidence, that is being confident in the fact that you love what you do and are good at that very same thing you love.

You cannot hide true passion about life. The rest is just gravy. But when that ability is no longer available to me, then it is time to turn off the light. I just hope beyond all hope that when my time comes, that there will be a Dr. Kavorkian on my side, helping me to transition to a more peaceful place, or that new laws will be in place for me to take the necessary step to pass on, and maybe even with a few friends with me holding my hands while I pass on.

Death should not be something feared, but embraced. It is just a natural step in the cycle of life. But to tell me I do not have the right to say when that should end, well that is just wrong. It should be my fundamental right for me have that choice. Who are you/they to tell me how run or end my life? It is my life, not yours...or theirs.

Where's The Fire?

We will all get old...hopefully. With that said, I wonder why people are not more patient with seniors. Yes, I know some of them can be a bit cranky and others just down right pissed off at the world. I know those people are not happy with their lives and feel the need to bring everyone else into their miserable little world. But those people are not the ones I will be referring to.

I recently took my daughter to work, where more than a few seniors come to shop. I have always been a patient person to those with babies and seniors. For I know that one day, hopefully, I too will be old. And I can only hope that someone will be patient with me.

I am also a firm believer in positive thinking and that you will only get back in life what you give. So for those who say, "It's just our luck." Not true. There are no coincidences. You get what you give. And one of my most favorites is, What Goes Around...Comes Around. Now that may come off as a little vengeful, as my daughter so eagerly pointed out. And that may very well be true. But what most folks don't get is that when something goes wrong, you are thee only one who can rectify that situation. Do not sit and blame everyone and their mother on your little miseries. No one wants to hear your whining and no one, for the most part, gives a rats backside.

With that said, let me get back to the incident that got me to put this post up. I was sitting at a 2-way stop and letting my daughter out of the car to get into work. There was an elderly woman trying to cross in front of me to get to the parking lot to get to her car. Fifteen extra seconds of me letting her pass by was not going to make that big a difference. So I waved her to pass in front of my car.

There was another car facing me at the opposing stop sign. He was visibly in a hurry. Even thought I had arrived at the stop sing first and had the right of way, he was already inching up to move through the stop sign. the elderly woman, who had a noticeable limp was doing the best that she could to get across the walkway. But this man was in a Harry Hurry. And as he inched up closer to her, and passing my vehicle, he begin to swear obscenities to her under his breath. But due to the fact that both his window and mine were rolled down, I got a whiff of what he said .

Where was his fire? Where did he have to be that 15 seconds would have effected his getting there. I mean really. Are people that so wrapped up in their lives that they cannot slow down for just a few seconds? Obviously not in this mans case. I just want people to sit and think how we treat others that are not as able bodies as we are. And I mean that literally. I see seniors all the time that have difficulty getting around or even physically handicapped people and it never ceases to amaze me just how insensitive people can be. I mean do you really thing that a mentally/physically handicapped person woke up and thought of ways to tick off the general population? I think not. And yet I see it more often then I care to admit, that many a folk who want these people moved or removed out of their way. Sad.

I think if Rod Serling could take folks like that (thee impatient ones or intolerable ones) and just set them into a situation they are perpetuating, they may see things a bit differently. If only for an hour, day in the life of someone you have no patience for, just to see how it is like in their world. then maybe we would have a more passive human race.

I Will Be A Squirrel

I was in the kitchen last night with my daughter and husband as my daughter and I were putting the final touches on dinner before sitting down to eat, when my daughter breaks out into a story from work. For those of you who may not know, she has just gotten a job at a local supermarket as a bag girl. Being a minor she will still have to adhere to the specific hours until she turns sixteen.

She begins the story by saying that a senior man came through the line she was bagging for and he had quite a few bags of peanuts. My daughter being the very observant person and knowledgeable in the kitchen, she asked the gentleman if he was going to go home and make boiled peanuts. He looked to her and said, "No, I am taking these home for the squirrel in my yard."

My daughter, being a vegetarian and animal lover thought that was a sweet thing for him to do. But it did not stop there. He explained to her why he feeds this particular squirrel. You see, his wife died recently and as she was dying, she told her husband that she would come back as a squirrel. So on his first trip out of the house after she died, he was returning home from some errand, and there was a squirrel in his driveway. He knew in his heart that this was his wife letting him know that she was still with him.

Who's to say. No one has proof otherwise. So I say let him think what he wants if it helps him get through the day. If he wants to think she is a potato peeler, it is his prerogative.

I sat there listening to my daughter tell the story and my eyes welled up with teas, knowing that some day either me or my husband will be alone. And that thoughts scares the living crap out of me.

It's not that he or I could not function without one another, for we could. And yes, it would be an adjustment, but I cannot imagine the loneliness. I enjoy sitting with my husbands on the mornings we have together and sit and talk about current events...or not. Talk about the weather or what is a five letter word for fowl that begins with an "R". Those things are better shared with someone. I feel for people who have not found that special someone, for whatever reason. To live out your final years alone. To me that would the worst.

Kids grow up and make their own lives. It's not that you are no longer important, it's just they have made their own lives and have to do the same things you did years before.

I hope that this man is happy knowing that he is keeping his wife fed. Because in thee end, isn't it the thought that counts?

Never Retire

Take it from a legendary like Stan Lee. N-E-V-E-R RETIRE!





I have always said if my husband ever retires, I will go back to work full time. I swear it I will. And I will tell you why. Because my husband has no hobbies to occupy his spare time. The gym does not count as a hobby. He has no outside interest to keep him busy away from me.

I see it happen all the time. One if not both person in a marriage retire and drive thee other one crazy. Why is that? Well because for the last 30-40 some odd years your life and time has been spent at work, away from said spouse. Then when you have all this time on your hand,s you have no blinking clue what to do with your self. You never took the time to find interest in something other than the TV or computer.

Pick up a local PennySaver style magazine and you will see that there are tons of groups, organizations, clubs to join or how about this...volunteer for. How can you expect to get something, anything if you don't give to your community. I love volunteering. My husband still turns his nose up at it, but I am slowly changing his mind about giving before receiving. You can't keep looking for a handout if you are not willing to first lend a hand.

There are a few adages that fit that as well. What goes around comes around. Give someone the shirt off your back. Charity begins at home. I could scour my book of idioms, but you get my drift. But sitting home and collecting dust is not my idea of going through my Golden Years. I want to keep going until I can't go any longer.

So find something that piques your interest. And surfing the web, or watching all your favorite shows on DVD does not qualify as a hobby. Get off your backsides and be active in the community. It will pay off in the end.