Like a phoenix rising from the ashes...

Well, not really.

It's been a really, really long time since I've even logged in to this blog. I'm not really sure what the deal is or has been. I had no real reason to stop blogging and no real reason to start again. So... there's that.

The only thing really on my mind at the moment is the recent death of a friend. He passed away unexpectedly and tragically last week and his funeral was Monday. I knew he wasn't very close to most of his family anymore and I also knew that he used to be a Christian. He's been a pretty outspoken agnostic for quite some time now and lived a life style that some of his family and old friends probably would not have approved of. -That is, if they had any knowledge of it.

From the eulogies at his funeral, he was painted as this Christian soldier, as a missionary. The man these people were describing was not really the person he was when he died and it pained me. It got me thinking about closet doors and the price of hiding behind them. It also reinforced how much I don't want a funeral.

When I die, I want to be cremated and I want my ashes to be planted with a tree that will never be cut down. I'd like it to be a strong tree, like a catalpa. I want an Irish wake, with music and dancing and lots of booze. I want people to swap funny stories and celebrate my life instead of sitting around crying and feeling sorry for themselves. I don't want a silly funeral. No minister. No eulogy and no damned Jello!!