living bridge

Friday 27 January 2012

Advance booking before birth and after death

ADVANCE BOOKING BEFORE BIRTH AND AFTER DEATH

Advance booking for birth is more often done by the family priest, astrloger, rather than GOD. The woman is wheeled into the theatre and caesarian section is done at prefixed time. Latter advance thinking has to be done reg.schooling, career, and choice of profession etc. One has to book in advance for air or rail ticket, book a hotel room or even to get dharsan at Tirupathi lord Venkateswara and for the laddu prasadam.All these types of advance booking is acceptable these days of fast and competitive life .

Recently two events or episodes has prompted me to pen my ramblings

FIRST:: one 60+ patient was admitted with a massive heart attack—unrecordable B.P., low thready pulse. He was resuscitated with intubation, inotropic agents, --his parameters improved but still critical.. Next day he became worse and was put on intra aortic balloon and cardiac pacemaker. With that support he was kept alive for second day. All the time the crowded relatives were informed periodically about his progress or deterioration. The relatives had divided opinion as to continue the treatment or call it off.. On the first day itself the relatives at his native place were informed about the status of the patient. They have made elaborate arrangement to receive the body. While the patient was struggling in the hospital and the relatives were divided to continue or disconnect as a form of passive euthanasia. The relatives at the native village have already booked the crematorium which will take the last body at 4p.m.and hence repeated calls from them as to when the body is coming.
This also is understandable.

These days of fast food culture, stress at work, addiction to alcohol, smoking increasing traffic accidents, avoiding seat belt, and helmet, Are we not advance booking our exit ticket


SECOND: this really is intriguing. We have a Tamil daily which posts most the obituaries of the nearby city and villages. As soon as one is dead the relatives rush to book a space in the paper. This also I accept. Often we see a obituary ad about the 12th or 14 death anniversary. Depending on their finance half or quarter page with photo is published. Once I saw an ad reg.12 anniversary of person whose grand son I knew and asked him How come you are regularly posting the obituary anniversary news? To which he said Oh. No. we have given advance standard instruction to the ad, agency so that we get the ad .space in time. Even if we forget he will send the bill. Death anniversary is a family affair to be solemnized with remembrance, gratitude .why should it be regularly advertised year after year. How long to continue? Should the memory be made public?



My ramblings are not intended to offend, down size, degrade the love, the respect of children for their parents .