Thursday, June 14, 2007

Can you still have any famous last words when you're somebody nobody knows?

In case you needed more evidence that my thoughts take me to some pretty strange places, the other day I started thinking about what I'd like my last words to be. I mean, think about it, if someone else is with you when you die, these are the words they'll be repeating to anyone else who asks them about your final moments. Since these words will be repeated over and over again (if you're not famous, or even well liked, you could probably get rid of the second 'over'), they are not something that should be taken lightly.

There are tough guys, like Doc Holliday, who simply go out saying, "This is funny." However, I'm not particularly tough, nor am I very brave, so I can't follow along in the footsteps of Doc, or any of these other guys (those who were involved in revolutions usually have the best ones).

Nathan Hale: "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country"
Charles Darwin: "I am not the least afraid to die."
Karl Marx: "Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!"
Che Guevara*: "I know you have come to kill me. Shoot, coward. You are only going to kill a man."

The reason why it's so important for me to figure this out now is because when this type of thing is left until the last possible second, people end up saying things like Pancho Villa did:

"Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something."

Now, I'll never be as famous as any of these people, but I'd still like to go out with something cool. After much deliberation, and depending on the situation, I'd like my last sentence to be one of the following:

"See you in Hell!"

or,

"Oh my, that feels good."

or,

"The treasure is buried in the . . ."




* My favorite by far. Too bad Che said it first.

11 comments:

Delirious said...

How about getting the last word by saying something like, "did too!"

Anonymous said...

have you seen this site?
http://www.sanftleben.com/Last%20Words/lastwords.html

I like Anton Chekhovs....
"It's been a long time since I've had champagne."

Native Minnow said...

That is a cool site. I particularly like the story surrounding the death of Pietro Aretino. Nothing like laughing yourself to death over a guy's joke about his fat wife.

Anonymous said...

I'm planning to keel over on someone's doorstep and scrawl S-R-S-G in my own blood, a la X.

AnoMALIE said...

I think the whole "See you in Hell" thing's been done... a lot.

You should probably stick to saying something about candy... maybe something witty involving Everlasting Gobstoppers.

Anonymous said...

How about, "Finally I can rest in peace..."

Anonymous said...

"Death is but a slumber from which I will be roused."

Native Minnow said...

Anonymous, I like the idea of scrawling something in blood. Maybe if the situation allows I could use that. I'd opt for something even more cryptic though, just to give the person whose door I scrawled it on had something to puzzle over for the next few decades.

Anomalie, you're right, the 'See you in Hell' thing has been done a lot, but it still sounds cool. I'm guessing the 'that feels good' thing has been done a lot too, but that can't be a bad way to go.

Anonymous #2, you wouldn't happen to be a vampire would you? Just wonderin'.

Inklings said...

My cousin's last words were "Beam me up, Scotty."

Anonymous said...

I like the scene in Meet Joe Black where the old man is going off to die and was told that he had nothing to fear because of the great life he had led...PI

deputymomof6 said...

I would be thinking, great, I finally get some sleep.... but I have no idea what I would say. You have inspired me to think about it. If I would happen to be killed in the line of duty, it would need to be something cool.