I’ve been going through the book “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die”, when I gave Pink Flamingo’s a watch… and sweet Jesus, it was one of the worst I ever saw, and I thought, “I sure as sh— hope this isn’t the last movie I see before I die”
So that begged the question, what would I like to see before I die, or what song would I like to hear, or what would I like my last supper to be.
Of course, my last day would include time with loved ones, but what else would you like to do. Be it arts or entertainment, crafts and hobbies or sport?
You want to leave with a laugh, maybe catch a favorite episode of MST3K?
Last movie? So many favorites, and so many on the Wishlist - A favorite feature film director, Christian Petzold, also did several TV episodes from Germany that I’d like to see (I found one with subtitles, but the other two are proving elusive)
Revisiting a fave… John Wayne was my first favorite actor as a kid, and while it’s not my all-time favorite movie of his, I have many fond memories of True Grit, I think if I had time for one more, that would be a fine last movie.
Last song? Would have to be something from the Beatles, and something from Lennon, Strawberry Fields, Tomorrow Never Knows are strong candidates, but I think I’d like to leave this world with “A Day in the Life” ringing in my ears.
Reading: I would love to revisit a comic book, Daredevil #8 - when I was a kid this filled me with awe and dread. Stiltman looked so cool, towering over the city, and that ending shook me, as Stiltman begins to shrink, getting smaller and smaller, and DD is helpless to do anything to help him. I loved that comic.
Meal? Gather up all my family for one last dinner out at our favorite Chinese Restaurant, for some sweet and sour chicken, almond chicken (what, I love chicken, lol) and pork fried rice with hot tea and a fortune cookie (but what would that say?)
Well, for movie, I’d have to go with either Close Encounters Of The Third Kind or Cinema Paradiso. Both are favorites and both, now that I think about it, have endings that would be suitably appropriate.
As for music, well, I have a playlist on my iPod of almost everything by my favorite band, Manic Street Preachers. I have already instructed Mrs. Lowell that I am to be buried with that on at maximum volume.
Reading…hmmm…either A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving or something by Kurt Vonnegut.
Last meal…probably something involving pasta and seafood.
Sure, movies, TV, comics, music… all good. But I’d probably just want to lounge by the sea on my last day. Or, weather not permitting, I’d like a view of the sea from a big window, with a friendly kitty and some friends… if I haven’t driven them all away with my affectionate, good-natured demeanor by then.
Last meal? I dunno’. Lotta’ choices there. We could keep it simple and just have coffee and cake, I suppose. (Though if we’re on the beach, maybe some beach fare like Italian Ices would be best.)
If there’s any famous riffers with nothing better to do that last day, they are free to stop by and riff on the ocean and whatever else strikes their fancy. I’m going to presume that I have no stitches which could come out and no condidtions which will hasten my demise if I laugh.
(Also, no one gets to live-post my death because hoo boy talk about tacky. I don’t care how popular it is.)
I would have to interrupt all broadcasts across the globe, including overriding all streaming services, (I’m assuming the You Have 24 Hours to Live Foundation has ways of making that happen) and address the world while petting a white cat. I’d give them 23 hours to hand over the Jade Monkey or I’ll activate the Doomsday Device. Then I’d show an endless loop of the Creeping Terror dance music during the countdown. It’d be a laugh.
They’re gonna inform the police chief (lay me low)
Who’ll breathe a sigh of relief
He’ll say I was a malanderer, a badlander, and a thief
Yeah, when I go
They will interview my teachers (lay me low)
Who’ll say I was one of god’s sorrier creatures
They’ll print informative six-page features
When I go
They’ll bang a big old gong (lay me low)
The motorcade will be ten miles long
The world will join together for a farewell song
When they put me down below
They’ll sound a fluegelhorn (lay me low)
And the sea will rage, and the sky will storm
All man and beast will mourn
When I go
Hats off to the man
On top of the world
Come crawl up here, baby
And we can watch this damn thing turn
If you wanna be my friend
And you wanna repent
And you want it all to end
And you wanna know when
Well do it now, do it now
Take a long last bow
Take my hand make a stand
And blow it all to hell
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Oh I wouldn’t mind one last MST3K but I would have so much trouble picking the right episode. So maybe I take the easy route and watch Monty Python & the Holy Grail again.
I could go for a nice plate of spätzle.
I’m not much for staring at the ocean (even though it’s only half an hour away) – I like it for about ten seconds, but it’s usually cold and always windy. I like forests, I could see doing a nice little walk in a forest. But really I’m a big homebody and I would prefer to be in my own house at the end, not off in some sylvan glen. So given every possible option in the world I’d probably elect to go out sitting on the couch with my husband and the dog.
So I guess my big plan is kind of like every other day, which makes sense. I read an article about people who’ve been given a short-term terminal diagnoses and most of them realize that they don’t want to cram in a bunch of new travel, or exotic meals. They just want to do the things they’ve always liked doing, as much as they can, before the end.
I would want to have one more watch along of a brand new MST3K episode with all of you all. And have the last thing I hear be the end credits. Maybe a burrito in there somewhere, and cheese sauce.
Frankly, I would prefer not to know it was my last day. There would be way too much pressure on both me and my family/friends to try to make it “perfect”. I suck at picking favorites when it comes to most media and food, so I would likely get stuck in a vapor lock of “this is the last thing I’ll ever watch/listen to/eat/whatever”.
My dream is to just not wake up some day. And then for the wife to throw my corpse in a dumpster. (And no, that last part is not a joke)
I want my body divvied up to help whoever needs whatever working parts I have left, then I don’t care what happens to it. Personally, I think I’d make a great Halloween decoration.
Yeah, I want to be transplanted into other people, or if unsuitable for that, donated to science. Put me in the FBI cadaver forest, I don’t care.
I went to a funeral recently and had to look up the location, which led to me seeing the prices the cemetery (sorry, the Memorial Park) charges. To bury a whole body, flat marker, local resident, the price starts at $18,550.
Back on topic though since it’s not the “where do you want your corpse” thread … I do agree with @Vader, knowing it’s the last day is probably too much pressure. Unless it’s like, an earth-obliterating asteroid or something; if that’s happening, I would kind of like to know. We could all gather on a hill and sing Sera, Sera.
For me, this wasn’t an end of the world scenario, or even knowing when the last day is coming, though I find myself reaching a point of acceptance… it’s going to happen, so what do I want to do about it. And what Pearl’s Mint wrote rings true with me, it’s not doing something new, there’s no elaborate bucket list… it’s more about settling into something comforting and familiar.
I always love going to Chinese on Christmas Eve with my family (and this was a tradition long before that movie was released. The first few years we did it -in the late 60s, early 70s- the restaurants were mostly empty… these days they’re packed… it’s seems to have caught on)
The gathering, the conversations, the great food… if I went home after that, fell asleep and didn’t wake up, folks could say, at least he had a good day, he was happy.
Which would be better than having a last day where you have to change a flat tire in the rain, and you hurt your thumb, so you scream, and then turn an angry shade of green while ripping out your shirt.
