When you get older you think occasionally about how it all might end.<\/p>\n
In my case, I choose to ignore it but the wife brings\u00a0it up once in a while.<\/p>\n
I have a friend that every morning, the first thing he does is get the newspaper to read the obituaries.<\/p>\n
He says he wants to know if any of his friends have died.<\/p>\n
It seems to me if the dead person was a friend he’d know about it before the newspaper.<\/p>\n
Then he says the paper will usually note when the service is.<\/p>\n
So, why is he interested in going to the service?<\/p>\n
To show respect, he says.<\/p>\n
The time to show someone respect is when they’re alive and can appreciate it, not when they’re dead and could care less.<\/p>\n
The wife doesn’t like that.<\/p>\n
She says you show respect to the rest of the family by going, whether you knew the deceased well or not.<\/p>\n
Okay – I’ll give her that, but since no one invites me to those things I suppose I won’t be judged.<\/p>\n
And she goes by herself if it’s for someone she knows\u00a0and\u00a0I don’t.<\/p>\n
I can count the number of funerals I’ve gone to in my entire life on one hand.<\/p>\n
They’ve been close family members, otherwise I usually skip them.<\/p>\n
Cold hearted?<\/p>\n
Some may think so but I don’t.<\/p>\n
I prefer to remember someone when they were around and not as a box of ashes on a pedestal with people telling long stories about how wonderful he or she was.<\/p>\n
Then it’s followed with socializing over the free food catching up with old friends.
\nA celebration of life they call it now.<\/p>\n
I like that, but I’d rather just work it through like I did with my stories of my dog.<\/p>\n
I’m sure few who read it really cared.<\/p>\n
And that’s okay, it wasn’t written for them.
\nJust me.<\/p>\n
The wife has asked me more than once what kind of service I would want.<\/p>\n
I tell her I don’t care.
\nI won’t be there – so to speak.<\/p>\n
Funerals are for the living and some need them.
\nThat’s good they have the opportunity.<\/p>\n
Some people don’t need them, like me.
\nThat’s okay too.<\/p>\n