When is the right time?

Perhaps I'm in the minority. Well, actually, I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority but, anyway, here goes ...

So, Kobe is dead and I'm a little indifferent to his passing. Now, before you think I have some kind of prejudice towards him, hold up - I'll explain. As an athlete he had achieved everything you can in his chosen profession. He had experienced everything he could as a celebrity. He had achieved everything that was required as a father. He has experienced more in his 41 years of life than many people would in their lifetime. If he had drawn up a bucket list I doubt there would be much that he hadn't already done. So, perhaps, this was the right time for him to go.

Death is never a fun thing to experience (or so I've been told) but sometimes it isn't necessarily a loss. I was happy when my grandmother died because she had lived a full life and managed to die with her dignity still intact. I am firmly of the belief that if you truly love that person you'll ensure they do not suffer unnecessarily. Till the end she still had her faculties, no hip on one side (!) but somehow had never complained while still managing to find the good in the day. For her, her life was her family, so it made sense for her to wring out every last day in the pursuit of family.

But back to Kobe: if I had to hazard a guess, his best days were behind him. He would no longer have the fame or the competition or the money getting trucked in that he did at his apex. All he had to look forward to was degrading health and perhaps watching his kids grow up. Maybe that's enough for him but I do know his family is set up for life (and probably even their kids). Although I personally think that his competitive nature would mean that he may start to resent his inability to compete. It isn't great that his daughter's life was cut short but we all know life isn't always fair. Other celebrities that I would say died at the right time were: Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Princess Diana, David Bowie, Prince ... to name a few. For those whose lives revolved solely around a certain skill-set (looks/acting/music) - and they were no longer revered in their medium of choice - is probably about the time their services on earth are no longer required. Perhaps I'm being harsh but I think there's a certain (demented?) logic to it.