(41st Entry) On death and dying…

The first two projects during my sophomore year of high school were “On Death and Dying” (Fall 1976) and “Parenting the Disabled” (Spring 1977)

In the Fall of 1976, I met a Chaplain from one of the Dallas hospitals. I was involved with the Episcopal Church Youth Group. He had spoken to us at one of our Sunday night meetings. As it turns out, he was one of the two Chaplains that introduced Elizabeth Kubler-Ross to her first terminally ill patients. He was mentioned in her book… ON DEATH AND DYING. When I was asked to come up with my first topic for a project that year this is the topic that came to me.

Since I had been introduced to the Kubler-Ross books and had extended beyond her work I had some background already. I called the Chaplain, reminded him who I was and one Saturday he came to my house for a three hour interview. I was fascinated with the subject and his experience, but having the opportunity to talk to him uninterrupted for several hours was incredible.

It’s funny, but I remember many of the details from that day even though it took place over 30 years ago. I was extremely fortunate to have had this opportunity.

Kubler-Ross is renowned for her pioneering work with terminally ill individuals. Most noticeably her Five Stages of Grief.

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

As I said in the last blog entry, the four projects that I did during my sophomore and junior years in High School were an uncanny attempt to resolve many of the issues that I was attempting to work through in my personal life and that were expressed in ONCE THERE WAS A PEROSN (previous blog).

As I am sitting here writing a couple of things occur to me. It was also this same time period when I wrote the answer to… Question: “If you were to die today what would you want your epitaph to read”… Answer “I do what I can and that which I can not do; I do anyway!” (Also mentioned in Entry 9) Plus it was the beginning of this school year that I received my driver’s license (Entry 26).

The reason why writing, contemplating, investigating, etc. is so important is that it gives us insights into our selves that we might never otherwise perceive. There’s so much within all of us. We all experience so much and we’re constantly bombarded with stimuli from all directions that it’s virtually impossible for any of us to fully realize all that is taking place within ourselves and our lives.

My famous epitaph (OK… famous to me!) is nothing more than a declaration of denial.

To be continued….