Funny George Carlin Riff About Aging and Dying

I had decidedly mixed feelings about the late George Carlin: I didn’t like him and I thought he was hilarious. The San Francisco Chronicle’s obituary today had excerpts from his routines. This one cracked me up—particularly with my 59th birthday approaching fast:

“Older” sounds a little better than “old” doesn’t it? Sounds like it might last a little longer…I’m getting old. And it’s OK because thanks to our fear of death in this country, I won’t have to die—I’ll “pass away.” Or I’ll “expire,” like a magazine subscription. If it happens in the hospital, they’ll call it a “terminal episode.” The insurance company will refer to it as a “negative outcome.” And if it is the result of malpractice, they’ll say it was a therapeutic misadventure.”

There was always a terrible boiling rage behind Carlin’s comedy. Let us hope he is now in a place where he has found peace and joy.