The Party

(The following story is true, and is in memory of Art Buchwald, who was on PBS21 last night and in an interview from a hospice, announced he was disconnecting from dialysis.)

It had been a rough week in the hospital business. Right in the middle of the busiest time of the year, the auditors had decided to ask lots of little questions, most of which were not important, a fact that one could not mention even in hushed tones to anyone.

In the midst of all this, I left the business office to get lunch and as I approached the general information desk, I noticed the hospital entrance----filled with balloons to the ceiling and a crowd of 40 folks gathered around laughing and chatting.

They had a certain high tone of voice that I vaguely remembered from family gatherings when I was a kid, when everyone had come from neighboring states and the chit chat had begun, and yes, after the first martini's had been served, shaken not stirred.

So, I said to the volunteer. " I really would like some of what they are drinking."

"Oh no, Mr. Woulfe, they're not drinking. Mr. Johnson is having his party because he has gone off the machines."

"Oh", I said. Looking at Mr. Johnson, I noticed his joy in reveling with all his friends that day, and also a tinge of pride in having a choice in the details of his life right at the end. It was a picture I have never forgotten.

I noticed that pride last night in Art Buchwald's eyes on channel PBS21 McNeil Leher Report. He said that ever since he has been in hospice he has had friends come from all over the country to see him. "I never thought dying could be such fun," he quipped.

(Art buchwald is the author of 20 books, over 5000 columns, which appeared in 550 newspapers worldwide. He claimed that since Henry Kissinger departed from Washington, he was the only sex symbol left in Washington. )