27 August 2009

Travel Request

First Michael Jackson and now Teddy Kennedy. Their bodies are on extended tour before interment. I'm not sure whether this is a new trend, something that will up the cost of funerals the way that wedding planners changed the cost of weddings.

But, uh, just for the record? If I'm going to travel after retirement, I'd rather do it before I've been enclosed in a small box. If I want to feel claustrophobic, I'll just fly coach.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My Mom has made it very clear that when her time comes she wants her funeral to be closed-casket. She says that she'd feel humiliated lying there dead in front of everybody.

(We prefer to use the word "eccentric." But, we know.)

Gypsy at Heart said...

Pretty morbid this open casket thing. I've always thought that and I was born and raised Catholic. If you didn't let me know how much you'd miss me in life, what is the point of coming to see me dead?

As to my last wishes. A plain box. A quick burn and then my ashes scattered in that place that I've always loved that is next to the tree.

Allen said...

I was raised Catholic as well, which means the following phrase uttered at every single funeral home by almost every visitor during Visiting Hours is ingrained in my psyche, "He/She looks so good, so peaceful, doesn't he/she?" To which I wanted to scream, "NO! He's/She's DEAD, dammit! How the hell can he/she look good?" I still can see each of parents in their open-coffins. But hey, that was what each one wanted.

As for me, provided I die in a manner that my body is available, other than in some catastrophic manner like a plane crash or falling off a cliff, I want my body cremated . . . no open casket . . . no funeral home . . . just burn my butt along with the rest of me and scatter the ashes over Lake Erie with the only caveat being if any of my boys want any of my ashes they're welcome to 'em. But no open casket and certainly no extra land being taken up by a casket buried in the ground.