\
"Someone I knew years ago gave me some sage advice. He said, 'When I die, the only obit I want is this - He lived a good life, then died a good death. That is it. All I need. And my funeral does not need to be much at all. I will not be there. Just a Christian burial is all I need.'"
This is not meant to speak disrespectfully of the dearly departed. It really is not. But good flipping grief - please! No more weeks like last week! I mean, how many times, and in how many ways, do we need to eulogize someone's life? The funeral for John McCain was particularly long. In fact, once the news had spread that McCain has chosen to stop treatment for his cancer, the eulogies starting coming in. And he while he was still alive!
No - is is bad enough we have mega malls, mega meat on your Arby's sandwich, mega churches, and so forth. But now mega funerals? The Franklin funeral was more like a show than a funeral. Five hours of entertainers? I would have developed a bladder infection! And then a 50 minute sermon about - absentee black fathers and other sins in the black community. What happened to saying a word or two about the departed? What a mess. But it did receive 24 X 7 coverage on many of the stations.
And how about that funeral procession! 130 pink Caddies. A vintage hearse. I don't think the King of Saudi Arabia would have a funeral that grand! And yet (forgive me for saying this), Ms. Franklin was an entertainer. A good one - but nevertheless, an entertainer. The way she was treated at her funeral was almost like she was a deity.
Let us not forget the McCain funeral one more time. Five days of laying in state, memorials, eulogies, more memorials and so forth. It almost turned out to be our version of the Wellstone memorial. How so? Seems a wee bit of politics came in under the covers. You know - bashing the President by innuendo. Praising McCain for "reaching across the aisle and being a good statesman." Not being divisive, like "you know who".
Someone I knew years ago gave me some sage advice. He said, "When I die, the only obit I want is 'He lived a good life, then died a good death'. That is it. All I need. And my funeral does not need to be much at all. I will not be there. Just a Christian burial is all I need".
Bingo. We come into this world with nothing, and we go out with nothing. Years ago I wrote an article called "Two Pieces of Paper". It was about our birth certificate and our death certificate. Years after we pass, that is really all that is left of us. What really matters then? What we do better those two pieces of paper. Making those days count. No more, no less.
Bottom line is this. If you have lived a good life, no eulogy is necessary. If you have not, no truthful eulogy is possible.
Senator Durbin speaks the truth about Kavanaugh.
ReplyDeleteThe principle of separation of powers states that the executive, legislative, and judiciary powers of government should be divided into different branches and not concentrated in one. These departments should be separate and distinct because of the corrupting nature of power.
ReplyDeleteThe likely confirmation of Kavanaugh will end the separation of power within the United States. Executive and Judicial branch will act as one to advance the UC's self-serving conservative agenda.
This will be the end of individual freedoms in favor of corporate America. It will be decades, possibly a century before balance can be restored.
Congress does not have the ability or will (cojones) to do anything about this issue.
This will probably lead to unrest and dis-obedience of a scale unseen since the Civil War.
Goodbye to the ACA, Voters Rights, Campaign Finance laws and A Women's Right to an Abortion.
ReplyDelete