The Good Short Life

Facing the Unknown

In the story, "The Good Short Life," Dudley Clendinen suggests that, "We act as if facing death weren't one of life's greatest, most absorbing thrills and challenges." People in our country tend to not talk about death. Throughout everyone's lives people try to avoid the subject of death because most of them fear just the thought of dying. Every human being knows that they will eventually die, but no one wants to accept it. The subject of death is avoided by people until the day it suddenly comes up. Until that day comes though, society is busy living life and exploring everything in life except death.

Clendinen says that, "We obsess in this country about how to eat and dress and drink, about finding a job and a mate. About having sex and children. About how to live. But we don't talk about how to die." Clendinen makes it clear that people in this country preoccupy themselves with how they are living, but they do not talk about dying. When Clendinen was diagnosed with A.L.S he was stuck. He did not know what to do or where to go. Clendinen's actions, right after knowing that he will soon die, show how no one is ever ready for death. People never talk about dying, so when they find out their time is coming soon they don't know what to do or what to think.

After Clendinen learned he was going to die soon he spent a lot of time writing letters and notes about his situation. He states, "I want to take the sting out of it, to make it easier to talk about death." Clendinen implies that talking about death is not easy but if people start to talk about it, it can become easier to do. People learn to accept death once they have no choice or once they know they will die soon. Even though Clendinen knew he would soon die he still kept writing letter, telling funny stories, walking his dog, and talking to his daughter Whitney. He went through his life enjoying every moment but not forgetting that he would die.

In Clendinen's view "We have to be able to see doctors and machines, medical and insurance systems, family and friends and religions as informative-not governing- in order to be free." His view shows that looking into all these things should be just to inform people so they can be ready, and be able to talk about death. People should not feel like they are forced to look into these things because then they will not feel free. Everyone can be informed about death. It is their choice if they want to know about it or not. Clendenin spent his life going to therapists and meetings but he did not hate it. That was his way of life and it taught him many new things. Learning and talking about death is a way to be informed and it is just another part of life.

Society acts like death is not a great part of life. Clendenin says, "There is no escape, and nothing much

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