Out with a bang

Hunter Thompson's last wish of having his ashes shot out of a canon will be fulfilled tonight as family and friends look on. I had never heard of Hunter Thompson before his suicide death. His death has received significant media coverage and he's been portrayed as a hero. I don't see it that way though. This is a man who took his life while he was speaking to a family member on the phone. A friend put it into perspective when he contrasted Hunter Thompson with the pope. The pope suffered greatly during his last few years, but up until the last hours of his life, he tried to serve others with what strength he had. Hunter Thompson gave up when it got too hard and took his own life.

Who knows how many years he had left, but it's certain that he could have used his remaining years (perhaps decades) to serve others, regardless of the personal pain he felt, instead of selfishly throwing it away. Our lives are the product of countless people who labor to help us become what we are. In return, we make a contribution to the world. It's not our job to decide when we are finished making our contribution.