Cruisers last trips, intentional never returns

[Dan Mosby]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

... you are generally paid back in spades

This has not been my experience.

Matter of fact, my experience shows the opposite is true. People view that "niceness" as "weakness" and try to exploit it for their own benefit, at your expense.

I prefer "mutual respect" over "being nice", and I will rarely go out of my way for strangers, as it has often times lead to frustration and anger due to a complete lack of respect for my efforts.

I'll still deviate course to come to your aid at sea, of course, but you can open your own $%@!ing doors.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by Dan Mosby

This has not been my experience.

Matter of fact, my experience shows the opposite is true. People view that "niceness" as "weakness" and try to exploit it for their own benefit, at your expense.

I prefer "mutual respect" over "being nice", and I will rarely go out of my way for strangers, as it has often times lead to frustration and anger due to a complete lack of respect for my efforts.

I'll still deviate course to come to your aid at sea, of course, but you can open your own $%@!ing doors.

That's terrible. I haven't run into that too often. Maybe people are afraid of me, and it's the crazy eye.

[TigerPaws]

Speaking from personal experience PTSD is VERY real, I feel fortunate to be able to get a good nights sleep once a week, but there was a time when it was once a month if I was lucky. Of my graduating class at the Air Force Academy 908 graduated and as of the last count 225 have taken their own lives, one was my roommate for a time.

While I personally have never felt the need to do myself in, I do understand the issues involved, war and the horrors of combat take their toll and not everyone can handle what they have seen and done. Then there is the secrets some must keep, please understand that there are security clearances far above what even a president is allowed to know (26 in fact). Those secrets carry a very heavy burden because there is no one you are allowed to discuss the issues these secrets represent with. During a briefing inside of a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) before I was "read-in" on a highly classified Unacknowledged Special Access Program (USAP) 2 Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) operatives made it very clear that any leak regarding what I was about to learn would result in my death and anyone I reviled the information to would be killed. As a small example I knew a highly decorated 3 star Admiral who once asked the wrong questions about a highly classified USAP, he was quickly demoted to a 1 star Admiral and forced to retire, he took his life a few months later.

Such is the Black World of Secrets and war in general.

SeaQuest OE II

[conchaway]

What can be done?! NOTHING. It's better to die doing what you love than to rot in a bed!

[TigerPaws]

Originally Posted by conchaway

What can be done?! NOTHING. It's better to die doing what you love than to rot in a bed!

LoL! Personally I am going to live forever.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sailorxyz

A living will won't solve the Alzheimer's/dementia/quality of life problem....

If I were progressing in severe dementia my solution is to move into the 20th floor of a builing. Then I'd install a door that opens to nothing.

The day I forget where that door leads is the day I am no longer me. Problem solved.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

The day I forget where that door leads is the day I am no longer me. Problem solved.

I like it! Solves that thorny problem of "how do I know when...?"

Seriously, I don't consider it "living" if I'm unable to benefit myself, my family or society in any meaningful way. To me, being a burden to others is sort of like the opposite of living. A negative.

Infirmary and dementia can creep up on us slowly, and there's a very good chance we won't be able to make the decision, or act on it, when the time comes. I would consider myself fortunate to know when the time is right, and be able to do something about it.

[Thoresen]

Agree totally with captain Puget. my son had a friend who chose to go out this way. One would assume his state of mind at the time was pretty self centered so probably was not thinking of others but it created a big hole in a lot of people's lives for years afterwards. Best thing is compassion and care,
suicidal thoughts and boughts of depression are not as permanent as death.

[Otium]

Originally Posted by pbmaise

The preliminary group concensus appears to not intervene and I am having trouble with this.

I can't help but think of alternate endings to both of their stories. Neither case I relayed involved people with life threatening physical medical issues.

...that you're aware of.

I can also think of many reasons why they may have done what they did, and I would honor and respect their freedom to make the choices they did.

Who are you or I to judge what they did as right or wrong?

Sorry, but I'm on the non-interference train on this one.

Why is it that many of us believe we have some kind of right to control others lives?

I am sovereign, I own myself.

Please do not try to control my life or my decisions on what I do with my life.

I believe in the maxim of Do No Harm.

I also believe that as long as I am not harming or interfering with others right to live their own life, then I have the right to live mine how I want.

Including determining how it will end.

At the end of my life, I will gladly take one final voyage over spending days, months, or years hooked up to some damn machine keeping me alive (in the barest physical sense only), while some nursing home or hospital gets every last penny they can from my family.

Sorry, that's going to be a 'hard no'!

[Otium]

Originally Posted by grantmc

In total agreement with your nicely put summation.

Wanting to die can result from all manner of things and it doesn't have to be seen as a negative.

If I discover I have some horrible cancer, or especially dementia I would want to be able to die with dignity both for my own sake and so that my family don't have to go through an awful time.

Agreed, Well said on both parts.

[Otium]

Originally Posted by spiv

The people with a mental disorder deserve compassion, love and friendship. Perhaps it's possible to help them.

BUT:
I have been discussing this with family and friends for a number of years and made it very clear that when I decide to go, I want to go in my "Big Blue Brother" in one piece, not cremated, that way I will redistribute some protein.

When I will not be able to look after myself either physically or mentally, then I will want to go. When that time comes, I'd resent any interference.

As it has been said above, there could be charges of manslaughter or worse if I get helped and there is a boat worth money going adrift if I don't get assistance.
Perhaps sit on the transom at sunrise with the dive belt on, the EPIRB (tied to the boat) in one hand and wait for the sleeping pills to take effect??

Maybe we can create a group of like minded old sea-dogs to help each other?? 😂 😂 😂

Amen!

[TigerPaws]

"Not All Those who Wander are Lost"

I have only been lost once in my life, defined as asking someone else where I was.

I have wandered around for a few weeks until I found my way but I was not lost.

SeaQuest OE II

As for me, when I am no longer able to sail and live as I would like I will put my floating home up for sale and move into a facility in the Alps. When I die my instructions are to dispose of my remains in the least expensive way as possible and my estate is to go to a vets rest home I have some faith in.

Of course should my demise be under suspicious circumstances my estate will go to several operatives with instructions to avenge me as violently and publicly as possible. Enemies abound.