l****n
发帖数: 6896 | 1 刚才底下帖子里提到包可华 Art Buchwald，好久没想起此人，他是我以前很喜欢的一
个华盛顿邮报专栏作家。多年没想到此公，刚才搜了一下，发现他已于 2007 年过世（
于是又想到了昨天猴脸的帖子，提到几位已故世的歌星。）包可华的特色是笔调幽默，
对于事物的观察非常敏锐与 opinionated（废话，要不然怎么当专栏作家？），常以讽
刺辛辣但却又幽默的笔触批评时政。让我印象深刻的几篇专栏文章包括讽刺法国人爱喝
酒、批评美国电影太黑太黄、讽刺福特总统满地找竞选搭档、讽刺拥枪派所引起的 “
武器竞争”、。。。。。等等。曾经有本书是他的专栏文章合集，可惜现在网上找不到
了。
（想到这两天版上拥枪禁枪的帖子，结果到最后一定是大吵一架。Buchwald 他反枪，
但他懂得用幽默的文笔来反枪，让不管是拥枪反枪的读者，看完后都是哈哈一笑。这就
是高手。）
他在过世前为自己的过世写了一篇专栏，贴出来分享一下，看看一代文人是如何以幽默
平静的心情面对自己的最后一页。
Goodbye, My Friends
By Art Buchwald
Friday, January 19, 2007
Editor's Note: Art Buchwald asked that this column be distributed following
his death. Buchwald wrote the column on Feb. 8, 2006, after deciding to
check into a hospice（专门照顾绝症病人的安宁医院）, suffering from kidney
failure. He had discontinued dialysis（洗肾） and also had one of his legs
amputated below the knee. He subsequently was released from the hospice,
wrote a book about his experience and also resumed writing his syndicated
newspaper column. He died Wednesday surrounded by family members.
Several of my friends have persuaded me to write this final column, which is
something they claim I shouldn't leave without doing.
There comes a time when you start adding up all the pluses and minuses of
your life. In my case I'd like to add up all the great tennis games I played
and all of the great players I overcame with my now famous "lob." I will
always believe that my tennis game was one of the greatest of all time. Even
Kay Graham（华盛顿邮报发行人，她有本很好的回忆录，曾获普利兹奖）, who
couldn't stand being on the other side of the net from me, in the end
forgave me.
I can't cover all the subjects I want to in one final column, but I would
just like to say what a great pleasure it has been knowing all of you and
being a part of your lives. Each of you has, in your own way, contributed to
my life.
Now, to get down to the business at hand, I have had many choices concerning
how I wanted to go. Most of them are very civilized, particularly hospice
care. A hospice makes it very easy for you when you decide to go.
What's interesting is that everybody has his or her own opinion as to how
you should go out. All my loved ones became very upset because they thought
I should brave it out -- which meant more dialysis.
But here is the most important thing: This has been my decision. And it's a
healthy one.
The person who was the most supportive at the end was my doctor, Mike Newman
. Members of my family, while they didn't want me to go, were supportive,
too.
But I'm putting it down on paper, so there should be no question the
decision was mine.
I chose to spend my final days in a hospice because it sounded like the most
painless way to go, and you don't have to take a lot of stuff with you.
For some reason my mind keeps turning to food. I know I have not eaten all
the eclairs I always wanted. In recent months, I have found it hard to go
past the Cheesecake Factory without at least having one profiterole and a
banana split.
I know it's a rather silly thing at this stage of the game to spend so much
time on food. But then again, as life went on and there were fewer and fewer
things I could eat, I am now punishing myself for having passed up so many
good things earlier in the trip.
I think of a song lyric, "What's it all about, Alfie?" I don't know how well
I've done while I was here, but I'd like to think some of my printed works
will persevere -- at least for three years.
I know it's very egocentric to believe that someone is put on Earth for a
reason. In my case, I like to think I was. And after this column appears in
the paper following my passing, I would like to think it will either wind up
on a cereal box top or be repeated every Thanksgiving Day.
So, "What's it all about, Alfie?" is my way of saying goodbye.
(c) 2007 Tribune Media Services Inc. | f********m
发帖数: 8405 | 2 Thanks for sharing.
感想是，多生孩子，老死的时候才能surrounded by family members...
还有。。。没有海鲜过敏是神的恩典，不要浪费。。。 | g*****A
发帖数: 14950 | 3 \(^o^)/~\(^o^)/~\(^o^)/~
【在 f********m 的大作中提到】
: Thanks for sharing.
: 感想是，多生孩子，老死的时候才能surrounded by family members...
: 还有。。。没有海鲜过敏是神的恩典，不要浪费。。。
| V**********1
发帖数: 24381 | 4 Re最后一句！
【在 f********m 的大作中提到】
: Thanks for sharing.
: 感想是，多生孩子，老死的时候才能surrounded by family members...
: 还有。。。没有海鲜过敏是神的恩典，不要浪费。。。
| l****n
发帖数: 6896 | 5 是的，看看 Andy Rooney，四个孩子，一堆孙子与两个曾孙。
Andy Rooney 当了三十年的 ABC 60 Minutes commentator，深受许多美国人的喜爱，
是美国著名的跨越几个世代的电视人物之一。底下是他死前一个月的最后一集，"My
Lucky Life"。
【在 f********m 的大作中提到】
: Thanks for sharing.
: 感想是，多生孩子，老死的时候才能surrounded by family members...
: 还有。。。没有海鲜过敏是神的恩典，不要浪费。。。
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