Hayden Panettiere Sunday, Frank Beard yesterday – who’s gonna be the third big celebrity death? As I get older, it is much more common for celebrities I am fond of to die. It is going to happen to everyone at some point, right?
Working in the funeral industry numbed me on it all quite a bit. We would crack jokes (“No one puts Swayze in a casket!”), or discuss celebrity casket selection (like how both James Brown and Michael Jackson had the Batesville Promethean). At one point we had a “celebrity death pool” and would bet on which celebrity we thought would die next.
Death also hit differently after you have prepared family members. I planned the services for my grandfather, sister, and father when they passed, and prepped my sister for my parents to view. And it was visiting a friend’s grave-site that I first had the urge to look into the career.
Death is coming…
I have lost many friends over the years. Some I was really close with, while others were “friendly acquaintances” – but all had an impact on my life. I was beginning an Administration of Justice program when my best friend from high school was killed by the local police. That immediately changed my potential career choice. One of my closest friends and frequent website collaborator died from an overdose. That is why this site went dark with a cryptic message at one point. A dear friend was murdered by her stalker ex. CJ’s (old timers, remember her?) roommate died by drowning in a tub. Another close acquaintance died by “dry drowning” in the shower.
Death is everywhere around us, and nothing can change that fact. At any given moment something could happen and we could die. So instead of worrying about how or when that could happen, instead focus on how to spend your time alive. After all, death is what makes life valuable.
Anyhow, I have things to ponder…
Song of the day: A National Acrobat by Black Sabbath
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