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OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW. One can only wonder what he was referring to. Such a well written piece.

richbradshaw 15y ago
The quote is: "Before embarking, he’d looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them. Steve’s final words were: OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW." I assumed the "Oh wow"s referred to each of those people.
powertower 15y ago
In the Buddhist tradition, being aware and clear minded (no grasping to life, no desires, no regrets, no fear) during the end of the self, while being in a meditative state, is the greatest feeling you can experience. It seemed to me like Steve got to that place he was referring to when he last talked to his wife. > He told me, when he was saying goodbye and telling me he was sorry, so sorry we wouldn’t be able to be old together as we’d always planned, that he was going to a better place. It's not exactly a "place", but you can only do so much with words. Imagine fully realizing that you're one with the Universe ... and then your mind shuts off, your body dies, there is no more action, what you where is no more, there is only silence. The end. But that's a good thing!
- Alex3917 15y ago
  More specifically, there is an enormous importance placed on dying well. Read The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying for a really good explanation.
- robertk 15y ago
  No, it is not. Yet not knowing what the alternative is like gives us that delusion. http://www.nickbostrom.com/fable/dragon.html http://www.nickbostrom.com/fable/dragon.html
Fluxx 15y ago
For me I interpreted it as him being somewhat conscious as the feeling of your body dying comes over you and you pass. I have no idea what that would actually feel like, or if that's what happened/is possible, but the thought of being awake and experiencing that feeling gives me chills.
- Alex3917 15y ago
  "I have no idea what that would actually feel like, or if that's what happened/is possible" You can experience ego death relatively safely using various techniques, which science has shown is the same as a near death experience. This is covers most of the experience of dying, minus the last part.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    Steve famously practiced some of those "techniques" in his youth.
hugh3 15y ago
Without wanting to burst anyone's bubble, I'm guessing that the words actually refer to a dose of serious palliative care grade painkillers. I don't like the emphasis on "last words" anyway. When I'm dying (and probably not especially lucid), I don't want to have to cope with the pressure that any set of words could be my last and hence I'd better make 'em good. I think we should let everyone record their official last words ahead of time, just so there's one less thing to worry about when you're actually dying.
- freemarketteddy 15y ago
  Try to go into Steve's mind when he said "OH WOW OH WOW OH WOW"....try going to the mind of a person who is about to die.....try going to the mind of a person who realizes that this is the end....these last few seconds are the last of a lifetime of seconds....I cant either but at least I am trying.
- hugh3 15y ago
  Aw c'mon, I got downmodded to -3 for being cynical yet realistic on HN? I really do think that "massive injections of painkillers is the most likely context in which someone a few hours of dying of cancer is likely to say "oh wow oh wow oh wow".
  - malvim 15y ago
    I didn't downvote your reply, even if I don't especially care for your explanation. I do believe in the power of painkillers, I just think that there's more to it than that. The idea of pre-recording one's last words, though, is brilliant!
    - Anti-Ratfish 15y ago
      A will?
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
  - F_J_H 15y ago
tadfisher 15y ago
It reminds me of Hamlet's last words in the Folio edition: O I dye Horatio: The potent poyson quite ore-crowes my spirit, I cannot liue to heare the Newes from England, But I do prophesie th'election lights On Fortinbras, he ha's my dying voyce, So tell him with the occurrents more and lesse, Which haue solicited. The rest is silence. O, o, o, o. It has been suggested that the final four "O"s were inserted as a Christian reference to the pure joy expressed upon the revelation of death. One hopes this is what Steve experienced.
vinnycoyne 15y ago
That line sent and still sends shivers down my spine.

The quote is: "Before embarking, he’d looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them. Steve’s final words were: OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW." I assumed the "Oh wow"s referred to each of those people.

powertower 15y ago

In the Buddhist tradition, being aware and clear minded (no grasping to life, no desires, no regrets, no fear) during the end of the self, while being in a meditative state, is the greatest feeling you can experience. It seemed to me like Steve got to that place he was referring to when he last talked to his wife. > He told me, when he was saying goodbye and telling me he was sorry, so sorry we wouldn’t be able to be old together as we’d always planned, that he was going to a better place. It's not exactly a "place", but you can only do so much with words. Imagine fully realizing that you're one with the Universe ... and then your mind shuts off, your body dies, there is no more action, what you where is no more, there is only silence. The end. But that's a good thing!

Alex3917 15y ago
More specifically, there is an enormous importance placed on dying well. Read The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying for a really good explanation.
robertk 15y ago
No, it is not. Yet not knowing what the alternative is like gives us that delusion. http://www.nickbostrom.com/fable/dragon.html http://www.nickbostrom.com/fable/dragon.html

Fluxx 15y ago

For me I interpreted it as him being somewhat conscious as the feeling of your body dying comes over you and you pass. I have no idea what that would actually feel like, or if that's what happened/is possible, but the thought of being awake and experiencing that feeling gives me chills.

Alex3917 15y ago
"I have no idea what that would actually feel like, or if that's what happened/is possible" You can experience ego death relatively safely using various techniques, which science has shown is the same as a near death experience. This is covers most of the experience of dying, minus the last part.
- philwelch 15y ago
  Steve famously practiced some of those "techniques" in his youth.

hugh3 15y ago

Without wanting to burst anyone's bubble, I'm guessing that the words actually refer to a dose of serious palliative care grade painkillers. I don't like the emphasis on "last words" anyway. When I'm dying (and probably not especially lucid), I don't want to have to cope with the pressure that any set of words could be my last and hence I'd better make 'em good. I think we should let everyone record their official last words ahead of time, just so there's one less thing to worry about when you're actually dying.

freemarketteddy 15y ago
Try to go into Steve's mind when he said "OH WOW OH WOW OH WOW"....try going to the mind of a person who is about to die.....try going to the mind of a person who realizes that this is the end....these last few seconds are the last of a lifetime of seconds....I cant either but at least I am trying.
hugh3 15y ago
Aw c'mon, I got downmodded to -3 for being cynical yet realistic on HN? I really do think that "massive injections of painkillers is the most likely context in which someone a few hours of dying of cancer is likely to say "oh wow oh wow oh wow".
- malvim 15y ago
  I didn't downvote your reply, even if I don't especially care for your explanation. I do believe in the power of painkillers, I just think that there's more to it than that. The idea of pre-recording one's last words, though, is brilliant!
  - Anti-Ratfish 15y ago
    A will?
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
- F_J_H 15y ago

tadfisher 15y ago

It reminds me of Hamlet's last words in the Folio edition: O I dye Horatio: The potent poyson quite ore-crowes my spirit, I cannot liue to heare the Newes from England, But I do prophesie th'election lights On Fortinbras, he ha's my dying voyce, So tell him with the occurrents more and lesse, Which haue solicited. The rest is silence. O, o, o, o. It has been suggested that the final four "O"s were inserted as a Christian reference to the pure joy expressed upon the revelation of death. One hopes this is what Steve experienced.

vinnycoyne 15y ago

That line sent and still sends shivers down my spine.