At any rate, this is a cause of death pedigree for my family back through my great-grandparents. I really should do another generation because I know I’d hit the era of consumption, Bright’s disease, and other ailments that slightly befuddle us today, but I’ll leave it at this for the moment.

So of 13 deaths, there are five from cancer (never the same kind twice), five from heart/cardiac conditions (mostly heart attacks), a pair of stroke/hemorrhage passings, and one murder. At least some of the cancers were environmentally caused, and since I’m not, say, a smoker or coal miner, I can see what the odds suggest for me when my time comes. They say knowledge is power. It’s also a little scary sometimes. Maybe I should back up another generation so I can at least reassure myself that typhus and cholera aren’t in my future. Happy Mortal Halloween!

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