Have you ever known anyone die in a silly or ridiculous way? Odd question, I know, but I was chatting to a colleague today who told me her neighbour died in a hot air balloon! It seemed such an absurd way to go. Apparently, it wasn’t even dramatic - no fires or explosions. The balloon just sank slowly to the ground. Another colleague, who joined in the conversation, told us she knew someone who’d died during a meditation class. She was sitting cross-legged and suddenly fell forward onto her face.
Maybe I’m just a weirdo, but I find these stories weirdly comforting. It’s the same with instant, painless deaths (you know, dead at the breakfast table still holding the cereal spoon, or slumped in front of the TV still gripping the remote, etc).
I guess it’s because such stories make death seem less scary. I’m sure we’d all suffer less if we didn’t take life (and death) so seriously. The happiest people I know are all a bit like that. I mean they all have a dark sense of humour and a strong sense of the absurd.