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Carpe Diem

November 24, 2022 8 Comments

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Jill and I want details.

Not just that the college student cracked her head open but how she slid off the pickup’s tailgate to land on a rock.

Not just a lumber accident but how his hand got stuck in the shredder (and why the rest of him slowly followed).

Not just because he went to the dentist on that fateful day. But in the chair? Was it the drill?

It started in medical school, together, dissecting cadavers, wondering about their pasts.

We aren’t ashamed of wanting the specifics of unimaginable losses; instead, we become determined to live ferociously another day.

By Ann Keeling

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shoshauna says

    November 24, 2022 at 10:03 am

    I love that curiosity of Jill and the speaker, your strong imagery (ouch!) and the final touch of “ferociously”. What a successful story, Ann!

    Reply
    • Ann Keeling says

      November 25, 2022 at 2:28 am

      Thank you for reading! I appreciate your comments. ???

      Reply
    • Ann Keeling says

      November 25, 2022 at 2:30 am

      Shoshauna – I’m not sure why those question marks appeared – because I had just put a smiley face. Doh! Please ignore them…

      Reply
  2. JK Hayward-Trout says

    November 24, 2022 at 12:56 pm

    Interesting.

    Reply
  3. Valli says

    November 24, 2022 at 4:15 pm

    Fascinating… Kudos …

    Reply
  4. Paul Lewthwaite says

    November 30, 2022 at 10:14 am

    Like the juxtaposition of the protagonists living life ‘ferociously’ whilst remaining focused on the dead (or how they came to be dead).

    Reply
  5. Doug Jacquier says

    November 30, 2022 at 12:34 pm

    The search for meaningful answers that permeates the best forensic pathologists, a la ‘Silent Witness’. Well done.

    Reply
  6. Nancy Patchen says

    November 30, 2022 at 3:11 pm

    Excellent story. Intriguing lead up to a powerful ending. Ferociously is the perfect word.
    One suggestion: change “the rest of him” to “the rest of his arm.” If it was all of him, would there be a cadaver?

    Reply

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