NED BUSKIRK
I am a lay person. I didn’t go to school for the work
that I do. I’m not a doctor. I'm not a social worker. I
don't have a job at a hospice. I do volunteer at a
hospice, but that came later to legitimize and further
explore this conversation about death and dying. I
wanted “You're Going To Die” to be more than just a
show. It’s inspired me to research and invest my time
in ways that help me see deeply into this and maybe
get a little, if I could be so bold, wisdom that I can
share. I am a lay person.
This is our death, and our approach to it, and our
experience of it, and our work around it is ours. It
should be that unique. We shouldn't let people take
over the driver's seat. And while there's plenty of
wisdom out there and plenty of doctors and nurses
and social workers and chaplains and whatever you
want to fill the blanks, it's ourselves that need to
take responsibility for our relationship with death.
Death has a lot of sides, and most of them are
understandable. I accept when someone comes to
my show and they're like, "I can't deal with this." Or
they hear the show’s name and say, "I don't want
to go." I completely understand, and I would never
force the issue. I get it.
NEIL BUSKIRK
48 | ART OF DYING