If you knew that your life was about to end, what last words would you utter? “Thanks for the ride”? “It’s been emotional”? “I told you I was ill”?
In general people don’t tend to spend a lot of time thinking about their final words but there are some who have plenty of time to mull it over. One such group of individuals is the 515 death row inmates executed by the State of Texas.
The word cloud below arranges all of the final words spoken or written by those inmates into the ghostly image of a skull. The larger the word, the more often it was used. It is interesting to see the most common words taken out of context.
Given that Texas is considered part of America’s Bible Belt, it is unsurprising that the words Jesus, Lord and God all feature prominently. Forgive and forgiveness are also in there, although not as high as sorry or, oddly, thank. At such a time a person’s thoughts evidently turn to family as that word is one of the largest.
But the word used most frequently by those in Texas about to meet their maker?
Love.
