# 360, March 30, 2005

COLUMBUS: Let me take you back to August 15, 1935. Point Barrow, Alaska.

Now suppose things had turned out different in that little plane crash with “me” and Wiley. And death had not come on so sudden.

Then, while we’re still speculating, just suppose Congress had been asked to pass a law to let me keep eating. I ain’t so sure they would have done it. Definitely not in August. No Senator would ever be caught in Washington in the heat of summer.

If they could postpone the vote till October, they might consider it.

I can hear a couple of my friends in Congress discussing the dire situation, “Are you sure he’s in a vegetative state? He was always a big meat eater, you know.”

“Oh, he’s vegetative alright. He can’t eat, can’t write.., he can’t even talk…”

“You’re sure he can’t talk?”

“He can’t talk. He’ll never be able to talk again.”

“Well ok then, let’s save him.”

“Yes, the government’s feeding half the country as it is, what’s one more.”

Fast forward 70 years. In January a wise and wonderful lady I know died after a short illness. I won’t identify her, but some of you knew her personally. Just before she passed away she told her loving husband and family, “Have the party and then get on with it.”

Historical quote from Will Rogers: (on the death of his sister Maud Lane)

“She has passed away. But she had lived such a life that it was a privilege to pass away. Death didn’t scare her. It was only an episode in her life. If you live right, death is a Joke to you as far as fear is concerned.” WA #128, May 24, 1925