At 67, Would They Decline to Save Me in Favor of Someone Younger?

And should I be okay with that?

My resounding answer is “No, I’m not okay with that.” At 67, I have the niggling feeling that I’m just getting started on a significant journey. People in my family live well into their 90s. My great-aunt and great-grandmother made it to 99 and 100.

If that is something other than subconscious rationale for “Not so quick, cowboy — you’ll have to pry that ventilator out of my hot little hands,” it proves I don’t feel ready to pass beyond the veil. The veil can wait. It’s always going to be there. Stupid veil.

We’ve all had the “Would you or wouldn’t you?” philosophical discussions of what we would or wouldn’t do in certain circumstances. Few of us ever find out if we really would push the button that eradicates a million people in another country if it meant our families never wanted for anything again.

I had a similar discussion tonight with someone. She said she’d sacrifice herself (assuming anyone asked first before they yanked the ventilator from her), for a young mother of four, for example. She’d give up her medical treatment to save this mom.

I responded that I would not. This young mom is a stranger to me; how do I know she’s a good mother? Isn’t that the basis for the…