Who you are, is what's in between your ears - not the shell you live in. Even paralyzed from the neck down, I can still watch my grandkids/dogs play - I can still get wheeled through Art museums, listen to audiobooks, or relate to loved ones on an emotional level. My wife, with a bat of her eyes, can say more to me than you could with a 1000 words. Connections like that are more valuable than anything on the planet. As for your point about burdening others, I would disagree, assuming they truly love you - taking care of loved ones who cannot take care of themselves is arguably the most spiritually rewarding task there is. Believe me, I know.
When you lose your mind, everything in the above paragraph is gone. While your body may function, you will be on this planet, alone. You and I are from different generations, I am much older. I cannot begin to describe the heartbreak of visiting someone you love suffering from Alzheimer's. Their body is fine, meanwhile, their mind is gone, and they have no clue who you are, in spite of having known you their whole life.
One of the most influential novels I have ever read was Ken Kesey's "One flew over the Cuckoo's nest". It covers in beautiful, poetic detail, exactly what a life is worth when the mind is gone. Even if you don't care to read the book, watch the movie - the last 2 minutes will hammer home exactly what I am saying.
I truly believe our difference of opinion is a generational thing. Much of modern culture has the unfortunate side effect of turning the younger generation into "Image slaves". They worry more about how they are perceived & how they look, than living in the moment. It's everywhere too...designer purses, $8 cups of shitty coffee (with a Starbucks label of course), botox, Instagram, the Kardashians, wokeism, $50,000 suits, etc... It is all image, no substance. Sad really.
Lastly, please do not take anything I say as criticism of your beliefs. Know that is meant only to present the observations of someone with considerably more life experience. Having read many of your columns, I strongly suspect, when you get to my age - you will feel the same way.
Thank you so much for sharing your viewpoint. That's beautiful to read. Yes, I've read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and it's one of my favourite books. I've also been institutionalised myself so I've witnessed first-hand what a body without a mind is like. Maybe my opinion will shift to converge with yours as I get older. Thank you for taking the time to write out your thoughtful and detailed response. It really means a lot to me when a reader shares their thoughts with me! :)
An interesting choice....although I do see your side, It would be the Stephen Hawking route for me
Interesting! Would you want to share why you'd opt for that route?
Who you are, is what's in between your ears - not the shell you live in. Even paralyzed from the neck down, I can still watch my grandkids/dogs play - I can still get wheeled through Art museums, listen to audiobooks, or relate to loved ones on an emotional level. My wife, with a bat of her eyes, can say more to me than you could with a 1000 words. Connections like that are more valuable than anything on the planet. As for your point about burdening others, I would disagree, assuming they truly love you - taking care of loved ones who cannot take care of themselves is arguably the most spiritually rewarding task there is. Believe me, I know.
When you lose your mind, everything in the above paragraph is gone. While your body may function, you will be on this planet, alone. You and I are from different generations, I am much older. I cannot begin to describe the heartbreak of visiting someone you love suffering from Alzheimer's. Their body is fine, meanwhile, their mind is gone, and they have no clue who you are, in spite of having known you their whole life.
One of the most influential novels I have ever read was Ken Kesey's "One flew over the Cuckoo's nest". It covers in beautiful, poetic detail, exactly what a life is worth when the mind is gone. Even if you don't care to read the book, watch the movie - the last 2 minutes will hammer home exactly what I am saying.
I truly believe our difference of opinion is a generational thing. Much of modern culture has the unfortunate side effect of turning the younger generation into "Image slaves". They worry more about how they are perceived & how they look, than living in the moment. It's everywhere too...designer purses, $8 cups of shitty coffee (with a Starbucks label of course), botox, Instagram, the Kardashians, wokeism, $50,000 suits, etc... It is all image, no substance. Sad really.
Lastly, please do not take anything I say as criticism of your beliefs. Know that is meant only to present the observations of someone with considerably more life experience. Having read many of your columns, I strongly suspect, when you get to my age - you will feel the same way.
Thank you so much for sharing your viewpoint. That's beautiful to read. Yes, I've read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and it's one of my favourite books. I've also been institutionalised myself so I've witnessed first-hand what a body without a mind is like. Maybe my opinion will shift to converge with yours as I get older. Thank you for taking the time to write out your thoughtful and detailed response. It really means a lot to me when a reader shares their thoughts with me! :)
Of course the challenge is that none of us know what it would be like to be in either state.