A Happy Death

Once a Hollywood wild man of legendary reputation, Zevon had been sober for nearly 18 years and quit smoking almost five years ago. When he was asked last year what he does while staring death in the eye, Zevon replied by saying, "Work."

"Harder, hopefully with some focus," Zevon said. "I'm working a lot every day. I already have great relationships with my children ... I've already led two lives. I got to be a wild, crazy, Jim Morrison quasi-rock star, anyway, and I got to be a sober dad for 18 years. I can't possibly complain."

I'm tired of the warped view that our society takes of death. Sure, it's a bad thing, and a sad thing. Still, it's worse to lose someone, I think, than to die yourself. There are lots of things worse than death that people can experience directly.

I'd like to do miniature case studies on the lives and deaths of two friends, Warren Zevon and Hunter S. Thompson. Not right now, exactly, but watch this space.