What's it all about, Alfie?

[alexpgp]

From the Art Buchwald column that was to be published following his death, which occurred Wednesday:

I can't cover all the subjects I want to in one final column, but I would just like to say what a great pleasure it has been knowing all of you and being a part of your lives.

Each of you has, in your own way, contributed to my life.

Now, to get down to the business at hand, I have had many choices concerning how I wanted to go. Most of them are very civilized, particularly hospice care. A hospice makes it very easy for you when you decide to go.

What's interesting is that everybody has his or her own opinion as to how you should go out. All my loved ones became very upset because they thought I should brave it out — which meant more dialysis.

But here is the most important thing: This has been my decision. And it's a healthy one.

The person who was the most supportive at the end was my doctor, Mike Newman. Members of my family, while they didn't want me to go, were supportive, too.

But I'm putting it down on paper, so there should be no question the decision was mine.

I chose to spend my final days in a hospice because it sounded like the most painless way to go, and you don't have to take a lot of stuff with you.

For some reason my mind keeps turning to food. I know I have not eaten all the éclairs I always wanted. In recent months, I have found it hard to go past the Cheesecake Factory without at least having a profiterole and a banana split.

I know it's a rather silly thing at this stage of the game to spend so much time on food. But then again, as life went on and there were fewer and fewer things I could eat, I am now punishing myself for having passed up so many good things earlier in the trip.

I think of a song lyric, "What's it all about, Alfie?" I don't know how well I've done while I was here, but I'd like to think some of my printed works will persevere — at least for three years.

I was never a big enough fan to hunt down his writing, but enjoyed much of what I did run across.

Cheers...

Comments

[marketeer]

He was the speaker at my college graduation and was very entertaining (the previous year's got the governor, who was boring as all get-out). I'll miss his column in the Washington Post.

Laughing at life

[daphnis.livejournal.com]

The most important lesson I've learned from Buchwald (and from others with his type of humorous outlook) is to see 'the joke' in virtually every situation! As he said recently to Charlie Rose, during a last interview on Rose's show, he enjoyed life 'as hard as I could' from childhood. It was either adopt that attitude or wallow in misery in a series of foster-care homes and live a miserable existence.

I bet he's got 'em chuckling in Heaven (or wherever he took his Big Journey to.) ~ Bon Voyage, Art!!