dps musings

It is a known truth that we don’t choose to be born and we do not determine how we die; unless proactive steps have been taken to end that life. 

With the recent news that Jade Goody has only a short time to live, we again enter the realms of debate about what is acceptable to share in the public domain and the taboo subject of ‘death and the dying.’ For some, these events do not sit well in the public gaze not least because a lot of issues are often left unsaid and only dealt with by those who have to live the nightmare of loosing someone to a terminal illness. 

 Usually a person’s story is not shared until after they have departed which in turn raises many questions about retaining dignity or opening the door to humiliation. Again these words can be emotive and thought provoking and the reverberations of Jade’s actions will be here for time to come not least news reports across a wealth of sources commenting that there has been a rise in women going for smear tests. Usually it is the ‘fight to die with dignity when individuals choose’, but in Jade’s case it is her fight to share her final days in the public eye. Whilst some dare to stay tuned others will shudder with distain. We are used to seeing the plight of others from around the world, but with Jade there is something that has hit home to many.