The first step toward getting comfortable with death and dying is to talk about them, and ever since Dr. B.J. Miller “lost” part of 3 limbs following a near fatal accident, he has done a lot of thinking and talking about them. He is a palliative care doctor and what he learned about himself from his accident and recovery led him to think critically and innovatively about the medical industry and how we deal with death and dying. UCSB Arts & Lectures presented a “roundtable” discussion with Dr. Miller at the Unitarian Society and there was frank talk about this important, profound and sadly avoided subject, touching on Hospice and some innovations and ideas that have sprung up here in Santa Barbara and around the world. Probably the most prevalent take-away is that even though everyone experiences it differently, we all need to change our mindset and accept dying is a part of life, not just the end of it. Dr. Miller is an engaging speaker and listener who thinks quickly and makes all in the room with him feel at ease and eager to talk. The allotted 75 minutes flew by very quickly. Check this out: https://www.ted.com/talks/bj_miller_what_really_matters_at_the_end_of_life#t-919491
