| Author | Message | ||
     David_lees (David_lees) Username: David_lees Registered: 12-2011 Posted From: 92.22.33.83 |
"There was no mention of more sex or bungee jumps. A palliative nurse who has counselled the dying in their last days has revealed the most common regrets we have at the end of our lives. And among the top, from men in particular, is 'I wish I hadn't worked so hard'." http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying ?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038 Sobering stuff. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 99.126.164.88 |
Is there anyone who snuggles into their deathbed and pulls up the covers and says, "Gosh, there's not one more thing I would have liked to have done in life - not a single thing! What's taking so long?! Come and get me Death!" I understand the overall point of this article, David, but... I think this whole "deathbed regrets" a tortured metaphor for the first world (a 1st World Problem indeed!). All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence. 1st World: most men/breadwinners don't have the luxury of simply stepping off the treadmill in life. They have families to support, etc. And so on, and so on. Me?... I think Jackson Browne's cold-comfort sums it all up a little better, life: "Nobody rides for free/Nobody gets it like they want it to be/Nobody hands you any guarantee.../It's only time on the boulevard...." | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.158.58.16 |
If I didn't fight the losing battle against ebooks till my dying day, that would be a huge regret. | ||
| Weber (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.66.23.11 |
"I wish I hadn't worked so hard. "This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship." Someone in the comments does raise a very valid point that this indicates that every man she's ever nursed has been a married man with children and a job. That's statistically unlikely at best. I think if I was to fork out £19.99 for the PAPERBACK self help book she's trying to plug in this article, that would have to count among my deepest regrets. | ||
| Weber (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 82.145.208.226 |
Imagine living in a world where everyone was 'true to themselves' and always said what they thought... It would be like living in a you tube comments page. And as for a world where everyone put themselves first... That doesn't bear thinking about. It would be a complete nightmare world. Worse than this one is already. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Interesting thought though - what would each one of YOU regret most (either having done or not done) if you didn't have any time left to do it (or undo it)? I'm going to have to think about my answer to that one myself ... | ||
| John Forth (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.24.1.217 |
If I didn't fight the losing battle against ebooks till my dying day, that would be a huge regret. Christ, Des. Really? What a spectacularly crass way to bring up your pet prejudice again. Regarding the article: hippie bullshit. According to the blog that spawned this article, every person she cared for "found peace" before they died. She seems to have confused "stillness" for "peace". | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
"What a spectacularly crass way to bring up your pet prejudice again." Pet prejudice? Or genuinely held opinion? I think everyone's entitled to their opinion - no matter how strongly held. Same as you are, John.  | ||
| John Forth (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.24.1.217 |
I suppose I'm tired of it coming up in every thread, Caroline, no matter how inappropriate. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
No worries, John. I guess I shouldn't leap in like that anyway - Des is big enough and strong enough to fight his own battles!  I was a bit of a grumpy old so-and-so yesterday due to being in a lot of pain at the moment. Sorry. The e-book debate is an emotive topic and we all feel strongly about its likely effects, which ever side of the argument we're on. Now, back to more "cheerful" things like what we'd regret most if we had no more time left ...  | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 92.8.16.133 |
I certainly don't expect to regret having worked every day - quite the opposite. I spoke at length (as quite a few of his friends did, at his invitation) to Bob Bloch when he knew he had only a short time to live. He said he had no regrets and that he thought, looking back, that he could see a pattern in his life. Fight the good fight, Des! | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.158.58.16 |
In addition to the previous potential regret above, I will probably have a regret about not spending more time face-to-face with the people I know, like or love. And about making too many enemies on the internet, whether innocently or guiltily on my part. | ||
| David_lees (David_lees) Username: David_lees Registered: 12-2011 Posted From: 92.22.33.83 |
I never even noticed she was plugging a book. I think I must be developing...not exactly a short attention span, but an internet attention span, where I just click on a link, scan the relevant bits, then hurry off to the next link. I don't really have regrets, I kinda feel like it's easy to look back at your life with hindsight and say "I wish I'd done x, y or z" but the me that existed at those moments never could have made those decisions. I might as well wish I was born a different person entirely than regret the things I've done, if that makes any sense? | ||
| John Forth (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.24.1.217 |
No worries, John. I guess I shouldn't leap in like that anyway - Des is big enough and strong enough to fight his own battles! I was a bit of a grumpy old so-and-so yesterday due to being in a lot of pain at the moment. Sorry. No need to apologise - it's a public forum, after all! Wasn't in the best of moods myself yesterday. Came home to find one of the cats in a pool of his own blood. Cystitis. He's home now, but it looks like he might have suffered some kidney damage. All very grim. And about making too many enemies on the internet Enemies? Well, hardly, but if that's how you want to be... | ||
| John Forth (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.24.1.217 |
Anyway, regrets... I guess if you're happy with where your life is then it's difficult to regret the past. After all, the goods and the bads have all contributed to bringing you to where you are now. Wooly thinking. I'm off to hug a tree. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
>>Came home to find one of the cats in a pool of his own blood. Cystitis. He's home now, but it looks like he might have suffered some kidney damage. All very grim.<< Oh no! One of my pussies had the same problem - was dashing to the litter tray every few seconds squeezing out blood. This was 11.30pm one Saturday night, so we got her to the emergency vets (cost a fortune). She's OK now - no kidney damage, thankfully - but it has flared up again (less dramatically) a couple of times since. You can get special diets you know, to help them make their urine more acidic I think. And if it's stress-related (which ours is - she's a bundle of nervous energy) then Zylkene tablets are great for that. Also there are special diets to help with kidney problems. I'm sure your vet will have told you all this. Hope your pussy's OK. (sorry, diverted the thread somewhat - but cats are always more important imho) |