How may of us are preparing to die alone?

[etrain16]

Force them to share their Kung Pao Shrimp!

I'm more of a General Tso's guy myself

 

[etrain16]

My invisible friend doesn't even like me ... not sure if I'm a bad azz or in big trouble...
Sometimes that's a fine line between bad azzdom and big trouble.
Andy

Maybe try offering to let him shoot one of your cool BP guns, maybe then you'll get a new friend!

 

[albin25]

To die alone can mean many things, but usually means sudden and unexpected...like a heart attack or stroke when you're by yourself type of thing. The alternative us to die in something like a plane crash with lots of other people, or taking someone with you like a mugger.
Whether you die with others or alone tramping in the woods or a bed in a hospital I think what you want to avoid is actually ....
....dying lonely as in unloved, friendless, unmourned, and forgotten which is something else entirely, and for many can indeed be very sad when it isn't by choice. The key word here is, choice. It can seem difficult or even impossible at times but make choices that will result in you being missed by others... other than the tax man.

Please leave a will or the State will get whatever you leave behind. No family or friends?... make a trust with a church or charity and a set annual payout...at least they'll remember you every payday.

eg... I'm planning on cremation then to have my ashes blown in the eyes of certain people I listed in my will.

 

[Captain O]

Several people have missed me... but their aim is improving!

 

[Captain O]

To die alone can mean many things, but usually means sudden and unexpected...like a heart attack or stroke when you're by yourself type of thing. The alternative us to die in something like a plane crash with lots of other people, or taking someone with you like a mugger.
Whether you die with others or alone tramping in the woods or a bed in a hospital I think what you want to avoid is actually ....
....dying lonely as in unloved, friendless, unmourned, and forgotten which is something else entirely, and for many can indeed be very sad when it isn't by choice. The key word here is, choice. It can seem difficult or even impossible at times but make choices that will result in you being missed by others... other than the tax man.

Please leave a will or the State will get whatever you leave behind. No family or friends?... make a trust with a church or charity and a set annual payout...at least they'll remember you every payday.

eg... I'm planning on cremation then to have my ashes blown in the eyes of certain people I listed in my will.

To whom? Most churches are self-serving. I don't have much, so whatever anyone gets will be dissipated within hours. To the Deuce with them.

I have a friend that's a bit older, but he has what he wants and/or needs.

Meh.

 

[albin25]

To whom? Most churches are self-serving. I don't have much, so whatever anyone gets will be dissipated within hours. To the Deuce with them.

I think I'm now seeing the actual purpose of your original post. You weren't actually disappointed that you lived your life in pointless misery, without anyone to remember or even note your passing or existence...
...you were bragging!

 

[teflon6string]

Regarding survivors...

My dad passed in 2002 at 87 with the final disposition of his earthly remains pre-arranged. The biggest decision my mom had to make that day was to buy an extra death certificate for $14 just in case the need for another one might arise. And I thought that was cool.

This thread reminds me that I have yet to make arrangements for when it's my turn. While I have no immediate plans (and I hope I have 2-3 healthy decades left), one never knows, does one? Either way, I want the simplest, cheapest cremation possible and a box of ashes for my sweetheart to sprinkle into a nice waterfall on any of our favorite hikes - if she's still around. No big ceremonies or bills.

So while it's not an especially joyful topic, I would encourage everyone here to consider arrangements that make things easier for those we precede to infinity (at least if we care for them).

 

[Captain O]

What I am trying to express, is that I have been left "to my own devices", and have been a bit cynical because of it. When you're by yourself, you gain an entirely new view of things.

A man in the house (that lives on the main floor) is slowly dying of Cirrhosis of the liver. The man that owns the house is a recovered alcoholic. The woman that lives in the house is living on disability because she's not mentally "all there".

The man that's living on "borrowed time" is kind, but didn't stop drinking until it was too late. This man "counts his days".

I live near death on a daily basis.

 

[mjbskwim]

I could care less cause I'll be dead.
We have some contradiction in religion. I'm not much of a believer but I do believe the one about from dust we come and to dust we will return
Nothing more. Just dust,nothing after that
So since I can't choose how or when,I don't much care if I'm alone or not

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

If one's "glass" is as they say half full or half empty in regards to their expectations in life; the problem is that their "glass" is the wrong size.

The contents in the glass represent the reality.
The size of the glass represents one's expectations.

 

[Captain O]

Cheap bromides are just that.

 

[cigars]

Regardless of how we are born and live, we are going to die. Many of us are married, but not all. The burning question is:

How many of us are prepared to die by totally alone? No family, no friends, no companions. My younger brother died in the hospital by himself. My older brother buried his wife and then continued to drink himself to death out of alcoholic melancholy. My father and sister died alone in bed as did my mother.

I am alone and will likely remain that way until my final breath is drawn.

Is anyone else "in my shoes"?

My older brother died alone in OSHU. It wasn't his choice or ours. Bubble-effing-gum those people.
To quote bro though, we're born alone and we die alone.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Well................I suppose dying alone trumps dying in a hail of bullets.

Friend, I would try a little light therapy (light as in sun lamp) if I were you. I know that it tends to ease my own Winter Depression.

 

[Osarion]

I don't think that a person who chooses to be more or less by themselves has mental health problems. Nor is a person who has accepted the fact that they may never have someone in their lives in a companionship role.

While solitude can stimulate creativity and even improve our attention span, it can also have deadly consequences. A 2013 <broken link removed> published in the journal Psychological Science found social isolation increased people's likelihood of death by 26 percent, even when people didn't consider themselves lonely. Social isolation and living alone were found to be even more devastating to a person's health than feeling lonely.

The human species is inevitably a social species that has depended on other members since birth. We're social creatures that need other people in order to be well and thrive. Naturally, surrounding ourselves with others and fostering close relationships are the antidote to living happy, healthy, and well.

Humans are not meant to be isolated. And no, online social media doesn't count. But we obviously don't know the level of the OPs isolation, if isolated he is indeed. But nobody should have nobody in their lives, romantic or otherwise. I can hardly think of a worse way to be. This is an odd topic to find on a gun forum though.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Both my sisters are gone (one hit by a car, the other a meth overdose a year ago), and both my parents. I've got no one on my side of the family left other than nieces and nephews.

I tell everyone "I'm the last of the Mohicans".

As I get older I think more about my expiration date. Whether I'm alone or with others isn't the biggest issue for me, I just hope I can face it without embarrassing myself. And I hope someone is there to take care of my dogs. Seriously, I think about that a lot.

Being born and dying is something we all do. It's the time in the middle that counts.

 

[The Heretic]

For you "normal" people, it is probably true that "isolation" may seem to be something bad or even tortuous.

For those of us who are built differently - e.g., introverts, or myself, a person with Aspergers syndrome, being around people too much can be a bad thing, even tortuous. It drains us, can cause us pain. What may seem like fun interaction with others, can seem like conflict to us.

It may be hard for you to understand, but this is why I live alone on a mountain away from other people - for the most part. It is what I need to find "peace" in life.

So don't presume to think you know what others need, or what is good or bad for others. That is the height of hubris.

 

[Osarion]

For you "normal" people, it is probably true that "isolation" may seem to be something bad or even tortuous.

For those of us who are built differently - e.g., introverts, or myself, a person with Aspergers syndrome, being around people too much can be a bad thing, even tortuous. It drains us, can cause us pain. What may seem like fun interaction with others, can seem like conflict to us.

It may be hard for you to understand, but this is why I live alone on a mountain away from other people - for the most part. It is what I need to find "peace" in life.

So don't presume to think you know what others need, or what is good or bad for others. That is the height of hubris.

I don't think it's really fair to assume that anyone here is implying that "X" rule applies to all people, everywhere. But it's pretty well established at this point that by and large, isolation or near complete isolation has a pretty negative effect on the human psyche. The science is in on that.

Even if you have no spouse/kids and your family has all passed, make a buddy. Have some personal human contact, even if it's occasional. Life is too short and if you are someone who doesn't really believe in an afterlife, then it's even more critical that you find some happiness in this one. Being introverted does not mean you swear off companionship. I won't presume to speak on a subject like Asperger's since I have only a very basic understanding of it.

Really though, this is a really existential topic for a gun forum lol.

 

[Dungannon]

Don't know how I'll die, but the decisions and paperwork were taken care of years ago. Given a choice, I'd like my children and grandchildren to know that my love for God and my love for them were equally strong at the end.

 

[The Heretic]

And for what it is worth, I do get enjoyment out of interaction with people on the internet - it allows me enough "social" interaction without the stress. It even has helped me gain the confidence and skills to help tolerate and be better in many social situations, to learn how to recognize social "cues" (such as sarcasm).

But I still avoid most social situations that others enjoy - such as parties.

Again, don't pretend to think you know what is good or bad for others.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

But I still avoid most social situations that others enjoy - such as parties.

You don't need to have Asperger's to hate parties. I avoid them whenever possible. I'd rather stay at home with a book and bottle of whiskey.