Died Doing What They Love

I often hear that people “died doing what they love”. This is a bit of a misrepresentation. Maybe if you died in the arms of your lover that would be truly correct. I just read a story on CNN titled “Canadian folk singer died doing something she loved, mother said”. This title made me curious; I wanted to know how she might have died. Did she die while singing? Perhaps she overdosed, but loved doing drugs? Maybe she was making love and took her final breath doing this. It turns out that she died from being eaten by a pack of coyotes. Who the fuck loves getting eaten by coyotes? This sounds like a miserable death and not something that even the most ardent animal lover would like to take part in (although The Grizzly Man did say he would be honored to die at the hands of a bear and the bear obliged him). I find the use of doing what they loved to be used inappropriately when that death is painful. When Dick Cheney shot that guy in the face hunting was there an article saying he was injured doing what he loved? Hunters like to do the shooting, not be the prey. If they die in this manner, I would argue that they were not doing something that they loved. Did Dale Earnhardt die doing what he loved? I think he loved racing, loved winning, loved the competition, but I never once saw him say I love wrecking into the wall.

I would just like to let everyone know that if I die doing something I love do not say this. Unless I die painlessly in my sleep or watching TV, do not say I died doing what I love.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/29/taylor.mitchell/index.html