I’m composing my last words because this cold griping me surely must mean The End and I’m bored. Famous last words (FLW) have been a game in my family (that means me and my daughter) as a way to pass travel and waiting in line time. But this year, a new twist in the FLW category came to my attention as a result of John Trudell’s death — famous last social media posts. Trudell’s, given to a friend to post on Facebook, is hard to top: “My ride showed up. Celebrate Love. Celebrate Life.”
Before social media, FLW were spoken to whoever was handy at that last moment. Some are now famous. Just before Gertrude Stein died she asked, "What is the answer?" No answer came. She laughed and said, "In that case what is the question?"
“LSD, 100 micrograms I.M.” Aldous Huxley to his wife who injected him twice before his death.
“I should have never switched from Scotch to Martinis.” Humphrey Bogart
“A certain butterfly is already on the wing.” Vladimir Nabokov
“I can't sleep.” James M. Barrie
“Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something.” Pancho Villa
“I hope the exit is joyful and hope never to return.” Frida Kahlo
“I know you have come to kill me. Shoot coward, you are only going to kill a man.” Ernesto "Che" Guevara facing his assassin, a Bolivian soldier.
Those were among our favorites, and clearly some were consciously framed as FLW and others were accidental. But social media now allows accidental FLW to flourish and there’s a website devoted to famous last Tweets (FLT) called The Tweet Hereafter. Gotta be careful now or you’ll be remembered for a FLT like George Donaldson, a member of the band Celtic Thunder. “Harry Potter night tonight again with Sarah. There's nothing like it………. The movies are ok.” Yawn.
Or an Instagram from Mitch Lucker of the band Suicide Silence, who was killed in a car accident shortly after posting this photo and the message “The dead are living...” Then, there’s this eerie message Deanna Cook tweeted just before being killed in a homicide: “Tru! Thats why I made the First move, Now Dude say He Gone KILL me. Wouldn't be so bad if he ain't tried 3 times before, But I'm Gods Child ain't never scared.” Yikes.
Those who knew death was near had time to compose something they intended as their FLT. Roger Ebert linked to his blog with his FLT “My Leave of Presence: An update www.rogerebert.com/...”
Leonard Nimoy had time to think up a good one:” A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP”
Oliver Sachs linked to a wonderful flash mob of Ode to Joy on youtube: “A beautiful way to perform one of the world's great musical treasures. https://t.co/ZNhUjl3fkZ”
Maya Angelou, five days before her death, sent out one last poem. “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”
I hope not to go out as pedantic, although witty, as French grammarian Dominique Boudoirs. On May 27, 1902, the grammarian, neo-classic essayist and critic gave his FLW from his deathbed in Paris. “I am about to — or I am going to — die: either expression is correct.”
And since writing this cheered me up, I plan to survive this prison of snot (although I am looking about the house at every niche that will hold the virus and contemplating moving out entirely after I heal), I’m not issuing any famous last words now. But one could do worse than emulate Sir Isaac Newton. “I don’t know what I may seem to the world. But as to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself now and then in finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
Celebrate love. Celebrate life
LLAP
* Edited to add (how could I forget this one?) by Alex the African grey parrot who was Irene Pepperberg’s research partner: You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you.