A Good Time Dying

I've always been a fan of Art Buchwald, but nevermore so than in these, in his final days.  Diagnosed with kidney failure, he decided not to undergo dialysis.  

He said "I had two decisions. Continue dialysis, and that's boring to do three times a week, and I don't know where that's going, or I can just enjoy life and see where it takes me."

He's showing us how to have a good time dying.  He told Jeffrey Brown of PBS's Online NewsHour,  "I didn't know dying was this much fun."

Remarkably frank, he told Brown about his decision to forego treatment.

I examined it, and I said, "I'm not going to go into dialysis." They took my leg, and I was furious. So I finally made the decision, because we do have choices, and I said, "I'm not going to have it."

So I went into this hospice. I was supposed to go in two or three weeks. That was the average for people that didn't take dialysis. I've been here since February 7th.

The doctors don't know what's going on. I don't care if they don't know what's going on, because I'm having such a good time. And my mantra now is, "Death is on hold."

In fact, he's known in the hospice as The Man Who Wouldn't Die.

When I got to the hospice I was under the impression it would be a two- or three-week stay. But here I still am, six weeks later, and I've gotten so well Medicare won't pay for me anymore.

So far things are going my way. I am known in the hospice as The Man Who Wouldn't Die. How long they allow me to stay here is another problem. I don't know where I'd go now, or if people would still want to see me if I weren't in a hospice. But in case you're wondering, I'm having a swell time -- the best time of my life.

In the Washington hospice where he's holding court to family, friends, admirers, he's also being feted by those who want to give him an award while he can still say nice things about them.  Like the Ernie Pyle Award from the Society of Newspaper Columnists and the French Ambassador who honored him for his contribution to arts and culture during his 14 years as a journalist in Paris explaining the French to America and Thanksgiving to the French.

He's as funny as ever, still writing his column; a recent one, Low Interest Loan, made me laugh out loud.

He's also talking about death openly, The End. Or Maybe Not.

Most people are afraid that if they even mention it, they will bring bad karma on themselves. ......

The thing that is very important, and why I'm writing this, is that whether they like it or not, everyone is going to go.

The big question we still have to ask is not where we're going, but what were we doing here in the first place?

He has no fear of dying.

I don't know what's coming. I'm not predicting anything, but it's an interesting thing.

But in the past month, when I decided to make my choice, it's been the happiest years of all. I've seen friends, caught up with all the people in my life from every different place. I've been talking to people. We talk about everything under the sun.

If I was at home, I wouldn't see these people. Like most people, you just die. But here, everybody knows it, so everybody is kind to me. And even people send me cheesecakes.

Art Buchwald, I send you salutes and huzzahs for all the laughs you gave me and for the lesson you're giving me now.