Without a doubt, old age is my greatest fear!  Old age...coupled with illness, make for a toxic mix, and we all know the alternative, right?

When I turned 40 and 50 years old, it didn't bother me.  But, when I turned 60 years of age...it has bothered me...as millions of people all across America die in their 60's! 

When it comes to age, I like to use the football analogy in my description.  Any person who crosses the 60 year age mark, has entered the fourth quarter of their life, and they can see the stadium clock, as it winds down to the dreaded two-minute warning!  This is how much time you have left on the planet!  Scary, eh?

Most of us don't want to enter the realm of the old.  I think we want to stay young forever, right?  We live in a young-oriented society...but the fountain of youth?  Forget it! 

I remember when my wife's parents were both over 80 years old, and they sold their house and  moved into one of those large apartment complexes, complete with medical facilities, etc.  It was a very nice place, complete with pool and garden, etc.  But, I didn't like to go there to visit, because there were always people sitting in their wheelchairs, slumped over, and I don't think they recognized anyone around them...not even their kids!  It was quite depressing to see this!  Is this the quality of life that one seeks in their lives?

"Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem."  Bill Maher

The following copyrighted newspaper article, was written by Rachel LaCourte of the Associated Press, and the piece was published by the Albuquerque Journal in June, 2008.  The headlines read, "Assisted Suicide Debated:  Washington (state) may face vote on initiative to become second state to allow practice."

The article reads:

"Olympia, Washington - There isn't much John Peyton can do on his own except speak, and soon, he'll lose even that.  The former Boeing computer programmer has Lou Gehrig's disease, which progressively paralyzes its victims.  His doctor gives him three to six months to live.

He is using his last months to oppose a ballot initiative that would allow physicians in Washington state to help terminally ill patients end their lives.  Only the state of Oregon has such a law.

'What we're really doing, I believe, is attempting to eliminate the sufferer, so we don't have to deal with them.' Peyton said.  Supporters need to collect about 225,000 valid voter signatures by July 3 (2008) to get the 'Washington Death With Dignity Initiative' on the November ballot.

The compaign has raised more than $1 million, more than enough for a successful signature drive, setting up a fiercely fought and emotional campaign.  Those in favor of the measure, say that it's not meant to encourage people to prematurely end their lives.  'They are realistically accepting that their death is imminent', said Barbara Combs Lee, president of the Portland-based group, Compassion and Choices, part of a coalition supporting the initiative.  'Knowing that, they want to protect themselves from uneccesary and unbearable suffering.'

Outside Oregon, advocates of the idea haven't fared well.  California, Michigan, and Maine voters rejected the idea and bills have failed in state houses around the country.  In Washington state, voters rejected physician assisted suicide in 1991.  This years proposal differs, in that it would not allow doctors to adminster lethal drugs on behalf of patients who couldn't do it themselves.

Initiative 1000, mirrors the Oregon law, which took effect in 1997 after a lengthy court fight , and would allow terminally ill people to obtain lethal prescription drugs for ending their own lives.  'Any patient requesting the fatal medication, would have to make two oral requests, 15 days apart, and submit a written request, witnessed by two people, including one person who is not a relative, heir, attending doctor, or connected with the health facitity where the requester lives.'"

End of article:

After six job losses in over a decade or so...it finally caught up with me, and I became homeless, and I went to live at the VA Medical Center grounds.  The VA helps veterans get back on their feet, by providing food, shelter and jobs at the VA, until the veteral can get a job in the community, etc. 

One day, I was assigned to clean this ward at the hospital, which I had heard of, but I had never been there.  This is a place at the VA Medical Center, where most people have not seen or not aware of.  It is a lock-down ward, where old veterans go to die!  Doctors and technology have done all they can for the veteran, and nothing else can be done...and the veterans, most of them are over 80 years old...are in the last battle...the battle for their lives! 

All that can be done now, is to notify the families of the veteran...and wait...wait for the veteran to die!  This was an errie place for me the eight hours I worked there...a death row...if you will.

As you might imagine, it was quite a depressing day for me, as there were about 14 rooms in the ward, and as I made my rounds into each room...I saw nobody awake; nobody was sitting up;  no movement by any of the vets, etc. 

I worked all day, and at the end of the day, I decided to make a final round of the rooms.  What a sad,sad day for me, as I saw no movement in any room!  I can assure the reader, that I left the ward that day, with glassy eyes and a lump in my throat!  

"When you have to make a choice...and don't make it...that in itself is a choice."  William James

As all of us get older, and whether we like it or not...we're all going to have to address the issue of legal assisted suicide! 

MY TWO CENTS:  What the fellow in the article, who is suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease, does not mention, is the fact that his wife (in photo) is suffering, too...because she has the burden of taking care of him for months or years!  Let's be fair about all this...she's in a lot of pain, too! 

THANKS TO EVERYONE! 
(Celebrating 3 years in writing)  Since the middle of 2008 and to the present...the traffic to my website has quadrupled,,,and I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to visit and to read my articles.  The reader, therefore, is the most important person in all this publishing process! 

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