Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

I'm around groups of folks who do a good job to talking about aging and death.  But most people do a terrible job.

 My friend who's an expert on these things tells me that most older people don't drop dead.  It's a long, slow process that needs to be discussed.

But it isn't.  So I was more than surprised to see in the middle of this week's (March 10, 2014) The New Yorker a 12 page graphic novel by Roz Chast on this very subject.   It's called "Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?"  It features a woman trying to communicate with her parents whom she describes as a "tight little unit."

In the twelve pages of cartoons, she takes them from being healthy and strong, although perfectly capable of driving her crazy - to being unable to clean their apartment, becoming hoarders, and on and on.

There are many, many painful changes.  The point being that the discussion needs to begin sooner rather than later.

Buy this copy of the New Yorker magazine.  The graphic novel in the middle will make you laugh and cry.  At the same time.


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