Originally Posted By Mr X Sorry for the morbid topic here, but I was thinking about death (and taxes) and thought a bit about what scares me as far as "cause of death" is concerned. For me, a plane crash is my worst fear. TOTALLY irrational, I know, but it makes me freak when I'm getting ready to fly somewhere (like now, ugh!). Something about that "total panic" involved in going down is just mortifying to me, not to mention I have a fear of falling (those pics from the WTC of people falling just makes my stomach leap as much as my heart ache whenever I see them on the net). So, that's my big FEAR, but I was actually thinking that drowning might be the worst way to go. Just seems so horrible...so alive one minute, and you KNOW you are screwed. Scary! Of course, flying over oceans once a year or so puts my two theories all too much in one bad package lol. SO, what scares you? Which way do you NOT want to go? Personally, I'll take "peacefully in my sleep surrounded by family and friends somewhere between ages 108-140", thanks very much. (of course, I should REALLY be afraid of my smoking, my drinking, my bad eating habits, my lack of excersise...a heck of a lot more than airplanes and freak drownings )
Originally Posted By peeaanuut my biggest fear? falling through a floor or a balcony colapsing. I am not afraid of heights, but I fear a floor colapse on a 2nd or above story and me falling through to my death. or a balcony colapsing and falling to my death. I know very odd huh?
Originally Posted By DisneyJen057 I think the worst way to go is in a fire, the horrible pain you would have to endure. Just awful
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< For me, a plane crash is my worst fear. TOTALLY irrational, I know, but it makes me freak when I'm getting ready to fly somewhere (like now, ugh!). >>> I have recurring dreams of being on an airplane that's about to crash (well, not "recurring" in the sense that it's the exact same dream over and over, but you get the point). What's the worst is when I have one while actually on a flight - then waking up with a start, realizing that I'm actually on an airplane, and that moment or two spent realizing that everything is actually okay. But as far as a fear, I really don't worry that much about airline safety, and only occasionally on board do I get worried. I think that drowning or dying in a fire would be bad ways to go - panic and distress for probably several minutes. An airplane crash or fall from a building wouldn't be nearly as bad - basically, SPLAT and then it's lights out.
Originally Posted By JazzCat Well, maybe not the second floor collapse, but fire and drowning. Or my car careening off of a cliff or going into the water. I've had repetitive dreams of my car going into the water and so I have a fear of going over low bridges. I would never be able to do that bridge between Florida and Key Largo.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I don't have a huge problem with any of the things mentioned so far. They would all be fast, and that is the way I want to go. Dieing in a fire might seem scary, but people rarely die from flames... they die from smoke inhalation before the flames ever get to them. The way I absolutely don't want to go? Cancer. I watched my brother die of cancer and it was the worst thing I've seen in my life. By the time he died he literally looked like a living skeleton. God help me, but if I ever get cancer I'm going to have my wife make a little mistake with the morphine...
Originally Posted By peeaanuut I think it is the slow death that scares people. A quick head severing wouldnt be so bad, but the agony of watching your skin boil would probably be unbearable.
Originally Posted By ShivaThDestroyer A slow lingering death would horrible but for me dementia or Alzeimers is the scariest. While I'm not overly afraid of passing, I would not want to put that kind of burden of my family nor have them remember me that way.
Originally Posted By sherrytodd At the hands of some psychotic maniac is probably the way I'd least want to go. On a side note, I did come close to dying once by drowning in a class 5+ rapid we were attempting to run. The funny thing is what went through my head was at first fear and the fight or flight action. But then as I lost strength what was going through my head was, "Wow, you are such an idiot. I can't believe you decided to do this and now you're going to die. This was really stupid." It freaks me out to know that if I do die due to some freak accident, I'll go out of this world, channeling my mother. =P Fortunately, two friends were able to catch up to me and pull me out of the river. I ended up with a fractured spine and many torn muscles in my back, arm and knee. Now today, I don't fear water in the sense that I can't get near it. I still raft, swim, scuba dive, sail, etc. But I really do not like to put my head in the water, and I also get pretty nervous on a boat when we are in open water, but not enough to stop me from doing those things. But I'm really not afreid of drowning in any outwardly, obvious sense. On the fire subject, most people die due to smoke asfixiation (sp?) long before the flames or heat get them.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Unless I just passed as a result of natural causes in a hospital (or at home) I would prefer not to die in front of my children or wife (like in an accident). The method of death doesn't scare me so much as the effects that would have on my loved ones.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan My father passed away on Monday after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer, the same disease that took Roadtrip's brother earlier this year. Cancer sucks. I've watched it turn my grandfather and then my dad into shadows of themselves.I don't know that I'd call it 'scary' so much as an emotionally draining way to die for all involved.
Originally Posted By sherrytodd Kar2oonMan, I'm so sorry to hear about your father. I agree completely. Cancer sucks. I watched a good friend of mine die from stomach cancer. He went from being a strong, healthy person to a skeleton in 6 months. He died shortly after. It is such a horrible thing to go through and also to watch a loved one go through.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper We lost a good friend to cancer back in February. 36 years old, the most positive person you could meet, mother of 2 young children and devoted wife. I don't know of anything much sadder than that. My condolences to both of you.
Originally Posted By LuLu Wow sherrytodd! WOW! What a thing to go thru. 2oony, I'm so sorry. I've noticed your absence and wondered why - sorry to hear the reason. :-( Somehow my dad stayed cheery to the end with kidney cancer - while he sounded awful to me, on the phone, my mom was still laughing at his jokes. Her dedication meant a lot to me, and even more to him, I'm sure. Yeah, quick death does sound better.
Originally Posted By LuLu Unusual deaths thru the centuries (not for the squeamish): <a href="http://whatsthecrack.net/List-of-unusual-deaths" target="_blank">http://whatsthecrack.net/List- of-unusual-deaths</a> I was scanning the list and found this one funny (sorry!): 1911: Jack Daniel, founder of the Tennessee whiskey distillery, died of blood poisoning six years after receiving a toe injury when he kicked his safe in anger at being unable to remember its combination code.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper LuLu...I didn't get much futher than a very disarming story about a horse. Oh man.
Originally Posted By LuLu You know, I really only read the ancient ones before posting the link. If anyone feels it's inappropriate, please ask to have the link removed. Sorry!
Originally Posted By Mr X **or a balcony colapsing and falling to my death. I know very odd huh?** Well, no stranger than me and my airplane thing (the odds of that happening to me are ridiculously high). We had a landlady once who was old, and she and her friend were leaning over their 3rd floor balcony (to look at something I guess) and it gave way and they fell to their deaths. That was creepy. Not "exactly" the same as what you describe, but similar anyway. As for me, I don't USUALLY have a balcony issue even though I don't like heights. BUT, we stayed at a hotel in Hawaii up on the 18th Floor, and the balconies were concrete and had NOTHING under them, they just sort of hung off the side of the building. THAT freaked me out good. I couldn't even bring myself to go to the railing and look down (normally I would).
Originally Posted By alexbook 2oony: Sorry to hear about your father. I'm scared of growing old. I know people like to say that it's better than the alternative, but I'm not convinced. I think the worst way to die is after decades of gradually declining health.
