Final Words

It’s so easy to tell, in a movie or a TV show, when a certain character is doomed. They give him one tender moment with his partner, he tiptoes in the kids’ bedroom and kisses them on their foreheads and you just know he is a goner. He’s had his goodbyes and he is about to die.
Another thing that’s been baffling me ever since I was a kid is the characters who have some final words of wisdom to impart on their bed. From a shakespearean monologue to highly motivational and deeply philosophical legacy the character simply cannot die without imparting.

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How can you even dare to die when you have nothing meaningful to say?
I get it, in a movie, they need to prepare you with a heartwarming scene just to make you feel more strongly the impact of the character’s death. It’s about catharsis and the Greeks discovered that long before Hollywood.
Yet, how about real life? Besides being unrealistic as people on their deathbeds are generally suffering and hardly disposed to make well-crafted statements, it’s also highly improbable. If you’re known for your wisdom, chances are you’ve already imparted said wisdom before getting to the last stage of your life. If you’ve always been kinda clueless it’s hard to believe the approaching death has brought enlightenment and you’ve gained all that insight you must share.
The way I see it, either you find something on the Internet and write down on a piece of paper so you have some amazing final words to say. Or at least find something funny. I love this quote, Humphrey Bogart allegedly said on his deathbed.

On the other hand, who’s to say you’re going to get a meaningful ending? Or the chance of one last memorable exchange?
How about this scenario:
‘Hey, don’t forget to pick up some pickles, too!’, the wife says.
‘Yeah, fine’, you mumble, more than a little annoyed with all the shit you need to buy. And, Bam! You get hit buy a car or you collapse just as you’re making your way out of the store. What words of wisdom can you think of when you’re lying in the middle of the street, a broken jar of pickles the last thing you’re going to see?
Not memorable at all, although I suspect given enough time ‘grandpa and the pickles’ might make for a fun story to tell the grandchildren.
Death is rarely memorable or meaningful. Mostly it’s messy and absurd! Oh, and doesn't have any meaning!

Hope I’m not being morbid on this fine Sunday evening. It’s just random thoughts that came to my mind last night as I was watching the season finale of a TV series. Fortunately, they’re planning another season, so the main character was spared…

Thanks for reading