Dear Abby,

Sorry to hear that you died. I mean..."passed".

It seems to me that people of my generation simply used the word "died" when speaking of mortal demise.

Now everybody seems to stubbornly say "passed" as the the new active verb for ceasing to be alive. I'm so edgy and filled with distrust these days that the word seems less a euphemism to me than a liberal dodge of some sort.

Of all the things that are bad about death I never thought the verb itself was part of the problem.

Every time I hear that new spongy non-committal word a little part of me passes.

Sign me,

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death in Wisconsin