When Death Draws Near

Here are today’s Wonderful Words:

"As death draws near, I feel the same uncomfortable transition I experienced when I was a teenager at Brantwood Camp in Peterborough, New Hampshire, packing up to go home after a grand summer. I’m not sure what awaits me when I get home, but this has certainly been an exciting experience. I had a loving family. I had a great job at the newspaper. I met fascinating people, and I saw myriad worldwide wonders. It’s been full of fun and laughter, too, a really good time. I just wish I could stay a little longer."

I Just Wish I Could Stay a Little Longer, Jack Thomas

Background

These wonderful words are the closing paragraph of a piece written by Boston Globe journalist Jack Thomas shortly after learning he had terminal cancer. Thomas spent over 60 years working as a newspaperman, and he had pieces published in eight different decades.

What makes it wonderful?

I loved this paragraph because it evoked memories of fun experiences ending and the uncertainty of new chapters.

I never went to summer camp, but boy did I love summer vacation. The last day of the school year felt like a world of possibilities opening before my eyes. Like the first pages of a new novel—endless excitement ahead and no end in sight.

And just like that, it was over. An uncomfortable transition back to the classroom, not quite sure what awaited me.

Or in more recent memory, the Hawaiian honeymoon I enjoyed with my wife. Poolside sipping mai tais. Hikes to hidden beaches. Snorkeling with sea turtles. Ocean view golf courses, and more ahi tuna than any person should eat.

The days felt like they might not end. But then they did.

Back to the airport. Back on a plane. Back to Connecticut. Back to reality. An uncomfortable transition from paradise to packing a Uhaul. We both had new jobs, and we were moving across the country. Excited but unsure what would come next.

Jack’s writing was wonderful because he made me remember the good times in my life. The times I just wanted to stay a little longer. And he made me realize the end of life feels much the same way.

Let's get technical

Jack used a beautiful metaphor to share the somber feeling of death drawing near. Metaphors make comparisons between unrelated things to illustrate the shared character or quality of the things the author is comparing.

In this case, Jack compared the feeling of death approaching to the feeling of leaving summer camp.

Life was his summer camp. A grand adventure. A glorious time. Long enough, perhaps, but still shorter than he would’ve liked. Death was returning home. Into the unknown of what happens next. Away from the sweet summer sun of days gone by.

Most of us don’t know what it feels like to be knocking on death’s door. But we all know how we feel at the end of a vacation. The metaphor is a translation from a foreign feeling to a familiar one. In this case, it carries a lot of emotion.

Next time you’re writing about an experience, think of yourself as a translator. Your readers can’t quite comprehend that feeling you had, so translate it for them. Take them back to summer camp or somewhere else they remember. Use their memories to help them feel what you felt. Translate your words to their language.

Happy writing,

Joe

P.S. If you're trying to improve your metaphors, check out this excellent example from Walter Kirn.