I've been thinking about my death lately. There's usually not enough time in the day to ponder such things, since the captain likes to see his crew moving around and picking things up or, in my case, flying them to places to be sold or traded.

It's not my death so much as it is the way I'll die. Whatever it is, I hope it's fast. And I hope it happens when I'm very, very old. Kids and grandkids to mourn and my wife still looking pretty as she does today.

She'll be able to find someone else. Even when she's a hundred years old, my wife will attract guys in their sixties, at least.

My death, here's hoping, won't be painful and it won't cause anyone else to die trying to save me. They can try. Effort is always appreciated. I'm just saying, don't lose a limb pulling me from under a collapsed building. Unless you can spare it.

Admittedly, I took more chances before I was a married man. I could chase space or dodge lawmen with a little effort. In fact, it took more skill to fly when I knew I had people depending on me to come home in one piece.

I hope to have a son someday. Maybe a daughter. Maybe both at the same time. When I look at my wife and think about how lucky I am that I married such a tolerant woman, I really hope I get the whole package. Wife, kids….a lemur. The dream!

Here's what I think will happen: It could be years and years down the line, but I'm pretty certain that when I do die, it won't have anything to do with flying. If I thought that, I may not be able to fly so much.

Ironically, flying is what keeps the thoughts of dying out of my head.

Maybe that's why the captain likes to keep us busy. Busy keeps death behind us instead of sitting on our doorstep. Not that we have a doorstep for death to sit on.

So, here I sit. Death lays in wait for me. He'll get me one day.

Not too soon, though.

I've got a lot of living to do.

Hey, maybe I won't even see it coming.

Too bad Shepherd Book left us, though. I would have wanted him to christen the kids.

Enough pondering . I've got a spaceship to fly.

I am a leaf on the wind.

Watch how I soar!

THE END