Thursday 8 March 2012

Z eats out

Once a month, except in the winter, I meet a group of friends for dinner.  They're all older than I am, mostly in their seventies and eighties, but I have never taken account of age in my friendships and I enjoy their company.  This evening was the first get-together of the year, a dozen of us met and we've had a good time.

At one point the conversation got onto funerals.  Someone was talking about the husband of a friend, who had died recently and the family had not known what sort of send-off he wanted, not even whether it should be burial or cremation.  Shirley said "I wouldn't want to be in the cold and dark with the worms, I'm going to be cremated."  Liz agreed, but wondered if her replacement knees would burn or not.  I declared that I hated the thought of being cremated.  The only thing worse would be burial at sea.  I'd feel far more at home in the earth and I'd feed the worms and things, so would be more eco-friendly.  "The thing is," said another Shirley (there are a lot of women of a certain age called Shirley), it's the last thing on your mind when someone dies, remembering all they wanted.  My father always wanted to donate his eyes, but it was six weeks before anyone thought of it."  "I'm only good for scrap," said Liz dolefully.

It was a very entertaining evening.  The Sage did not come with me but went to his wood-turners' club (he doesn't turn, but can often help out by providing wood).  He says he had a good time too.

12 comments:

LẌ said...

Why not at sea? Feeding the fishes seems eco-friendly.

I'm all set to go, already have a vault and casket picked out.

Blue Witch said...

I strongly believe that everyone should have a written funeral plan: It's the least that one can do to help lessen the burden on those one leaves behind. And also a list of everyone who should be notified, so no-one is forgotten.

Sir Bruin said...

My dad wanted to be buried at sea. The best that I could manage was chucking his ashes in the River Deben (where we used to do a bit of sailing).

Roses said...

My wishes and Will are all ready to go, as well. I'm not entirely sure why people don't plan ahead, it's not like any of us are getting out of this Life alive.

I'm happy with the thought of cremation. My ashes will be scattered on the Rock in Trinidad. I suppose I don't like the thought of being stationary, even in death.

Rosie said...

Now I'm wondering if my false tooth will remain in solitary confinement?

Jill of All Trades said...

I've technically thought about it-cremation, ashes in Lake Victoria, but I can see how for some it would be like, "whatever, life takes up so much, I don't have time to worry about what I'll do after I die." I get that.

If I had to plan for someone who didn't make their own, I would definitely just do to them what I would want done to me-sort of like a practice run. Then I'd see their ashes floating in Lake Vic, getting caught in some fisherman's net or ending up in some lake sludge and think, "wow-gotta rethink that plan."

Tim said...

They can scatter me in whatever location most reminds them of me. (Preferably after cremation.)

Christopher said...

Die? That's the last thing I intend to do.

Unknown said...

I couldn't care less what they do with me, after all, I'll be dead! So long as the ceremony isn't religious! A BBQ sounds quite attractive, if they can put me out!! LOL.

Rog said...

Does the Sage simply turn up at his club?

Z said...

I'm not fond of deep water and I'm afraid of fire. I feel quite comfortable at the thought of being buried, as long as I'm dead first. Cremation seems to be the preferred destiny of most of you, though.

Someone did wonder about her tooth. I should think most of us will have spare parts of one sort or another. I love Jill's idea of a not-so-dry run!

The gentleman is for turning up, I think, Rog.

luckyzmom said...

Whatever my loved ones felt comfortable with is alright with me. After all, there's probably nothing I would be able to do about it after I'd died.