Although it happens to everyone, without exception, most people avoid the subject of death. Our culture, as Louise Aronson shares in her book Elderhood, prefers to remove itself from the uncomfortable topic that all life does come to an end. “It’s a rare family in which at least one person doesn’t know how to care for a child. Yet, though birth and death occur in human lives in a 1:1 ratio, and human mortality is holding steady at 100 percent, it’s common for no one in a family to know how to help someone die. This wasn’t always the case: for millennia people died at home…Generations grew to and through adulthood without seeing or helping with a death.” Aronson explains that it takes experience to become comfortable with dying, “Not an advanced medical degree. Not liking death. Not looking forward to it. Just understanding that it’s a defining part of life and approaching it accordingly.”

Because my daily life is surrounded by Emerging Adults, I have not given as much consideration to the later stages of life, other than providing a framework for understanding the Seasons of a Professional’s Life. Perhaps, there have been a few Courageous Conversations with family members about end-of-life topics, but generally not many people, outside of geriatrics, choose to have exchanges about How to Die. However, while reading on the topic of Emerging Elderhood recently to establish some balance for understanding the other stages of adulthood, multiple authors asked readers to reflect about their current life and if given a choice, how would they prefer to die—immediately in their sleep, with time to say goodbyes, etc.

So, I’ve made a decision…I want to Die of Curiosity! People who know me well might think Of course she’d say that, but the reality is, on my death bed, I’m likely to still have a Burning Curiosity that will drive my caregivers crazy. Now, they won’t likely have a valid and reliable answer to some questions, since it’s slightly difficult to answer from personal experience to an inquiry like, “What happens when I’m no longer living?” but if there is still breath in my lungs, I’m likely to be asking a question. Entertain me with humorous answers from Siri, Alexa, or some other device, but please, don’t ignore my questions.

To Die of Curiosity is an idiom we use to describe “a state of being so curious that one feels as though one cannot tolerate it any longer.” And to be honest, with today’s available technology, unless you are in some remote location without internet or cell service, you can pretty much find the answer to anything at any time—When did we start naming streets? How many ounces in two liters? Where to recycle cardboard? —to name a few recent searches, but I truly relish the trait of curiosity. Thus, my adoration from childhood of the character Curious George, he could ask questions without even using words!

We are born curious, but for many people, they seem to lose their inquisitiveness as they age, so I reiterate my choice to Die of Curiosity—hopefully not a curiosity in that I’m asking the same questions over and over again because I forget the answer provided, but as an inquiring mind wanting to know (thank you, National Enquirer) more about the people, places, and things surrounding me. A genuine, heartfelt interest in this unique and intriguing world that God created. Oh, and my notebook is full of questions for Him to answer when I arrive in heaven! He’s going to wish He had not created the concept of curiosity!

Perhaps your curiosity doesn’t skip all over the place like my current reading list: The Secret Therapy of Trees, Culture Wars, Unshakeable Moxie, and the new Jack Reacher book, but I would be willing to wager that you are curious about something—what does your current list include? I’d be delighted if you chose to share a few in the comments below.

References:

Aronson, L. (2019). Elderhood: Redefining aging, transforming medicine, reimagining life. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Farlex, Inc. (2023-24). Die of curiosity. The Free Dictionary. Retrieved from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/dying+of+curiosity