Dinner and Death

At dinner, I sat with Paul Budraitis and Scot Auguston, thus stumbling upon a deep and personal conversation. Scot was saying that he has gotten to a point in his life where he has accepted his inevitable passing on, and Paul expressed that he can’t wait to get there himself. Although he’s not “macabre,” Budraitis said he’s interested in death: “I’m drawn to it in my work…[I want] to make people think about it, and maybe live a better life.”

I asked him if he’s ever had a moment when he thought he was going to die, and he shared a story about plane trip that truly shook him up. Lightning, weaving, and the phrase “Oh my God” that came out of his mouth.

My story was similar: a flight that I thought might be “the one.” Despite the electrical smell and anxious-looking flight attendants, I tried to calm myself by listening to Hawaiian music (a detail which entertained Paul).

As the football game silently continued on the glowing screen nearby, this conversation unfolded. And then concluded. Because it’s getting close to 8 o’clock.