Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for May 09, 2024

No one wants to travel to the “undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns.”

So do I, RAT, so do I…Dan aka…

I have a magnet that reads, “I may get older, but I can be immature my whole life.”

It’s worked so far for me at 83.

Consider the alternative.

It is quite nice, but it’s not for wimps.

That’s not the Grim Reaper, it’s the Boo-boo Banshee.

He’s the one that pushes people down.

Big deal. Ya gonna dies one day anyways.

That’s a REALLY old joke.

But I guess it IS better than the alternative.

Don’t worry Rar. Even Hades doesn’t want you.

Old age is not for sissies. I’m not as tall as I used to be and it’s harder to reach things that used to be so easy. Just gotta grin and bear it and figure out another way to do some things. Surrendered my driver’s license and got a Real ID instead. Wasn’t driving anyway. .

Folks ask me, what do you think will happen when we die? I say, it’ll be exactly the same as before we were born! Remember? They say, no? I say, exactly!

The grim reaper don’t sow so why does he reap what he didn’t sow?

Like the saying goes “Better than the alternative!”!

Rat looks death right in the face!

As they say, aging is the only way to live.

A late great-uncle of mine used to say, “Live long, die young”. If only…

80 is the new 60, which is the new 40, until you get hurt doing something you shouldn’t have been doing at 40. Then it’s the new 90.

Nothing worse than an old rat.

Be mindful what you wish for.

But eventually, Scythe Guy may come as a friend.

Anyone else remember the Twilight Zone episode “Nothing in the Dark”, with a young Robert Redford as “Mr. Death”?

Rats only have a few years to live anyways.

I don’t mind growing old, its the aging process that is killing me.

Rat, I have come for thee!

Rat must be reading “Get Fuzzy” since Bucky is currently obsessed with the Grim Reaper also.

“Do not resent growing old. It is a privilege denied many”.

Only the good die young.

Give me age and give me death!

Considering the alternative, growing old could be a good thing.

The alternative isn’t nearly so nice, Rat.

I knew I was old the day I installed a grab bar in the shower.

As we say, getting old beats the alternative…usually.

“The good die young so they may not be corrupted and the wicked live on so they may have a chance to repent.”

—Paladin

As I’ve misquoted elsewhere: “The best part of waking up, is just waking up…”

Yes, Rat. This is what happens. Get used to it. At some point, you’ll wonder when and how you got bruised on your arms.

In an episode of Midsomer Murders, the 50-something Detective Inspector and his 20-something Sergeant are leaving a crime scene at a retirement home:

DS: “88? Who’d want to want to live to be 88??”

DI: “Someone who’s 87?”

“DON’T THINK OF IT AS DYING. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.”

—Death, in Good Omens.

Careful what you wish for.

Get old or die. Those are our choices.

Second strip in a week on this theme. I wonder what age-related injuries have inspired Pastis to do these? We’ll probably find out whenever they get published in a treasury.

Had this very same conversation with my spouse yesterday!

Whenever I see the Grim Reaper, I think of the wolf character from my favorite movie. That’s the true personification of Death.

I do do the Dumbest things now. Fortunately, no one is around to be a witness

Getting old is no fun, but it beats the alternative.

I’ll concentrate on the strip and just say, let’s enjoy life the best we can at any age before it’s all over.

Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how it remains so popular?

I hear ya, Rat. These days I take my steps with a bit more forethought…no more zippin’ around like I used to!

The vote is unanimous, you should have drowned like a … like a … well, who knows?

Getting older certainly beats the alternative.

I don’t know. Death seems to have a nice smile in this one.

Death of rats character from Terry Pratchett Disc World series.

The situation reminds me of that famous quotation: “Growing old isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.

“What a drag it is getting old” – Mick Jagger

Oh, What times have come.

is that “Death of Rats” from Terry Pratchett’s disc world?

I fell onto my concrete driveway and ended up in the ER just turning around from the trunk of my car. I swear Death must have tripped me!

Are you “Talkin’ ’Bout My G-g-g-generation”?

Getting old is not for wimps.

Like my late uncle used to say: “If you don’t want to get old, die young”…

Consider the alternative.

Despite the high cost of living, it continues to be very popular.

At least you survived your fall…others aren’t so lucky!

One of my life mottoes: “You can’t help growing older, but you don’t have to get old.” Thank you, George Burns.

An insufficiency of ducks.