I like to read the obits

[zestfive]

I don't know why I enjoy reading them. I think I like to read about people, their lives, who died before them, who survived them. Sometimes they list what they did occupationally or personally in their lives, I like to read about that. I really like it when they acknowledge gay couples or controversial causes of death, i.e. suicide or depression. It's interesting for me to read about hobbies or the passions in their lives. Pets have been mentioned. Military service is often mentioned. Particularly religious folks often talk about going home to jesus or the lord. Memorials are often preferred over flowers, often to charity but occasionally to surviving children. I worry about those folks who aren't having services at all, why do they bother to announce it then? I love it when folks have been married for so many years and it's funny because I only assume that they were happily married. People who die young and don't mention why...they always leave me thinking. I love it when they mention things that the particularly enjoyed such as sports teams or specific coffee shops and etc. It's always interesting to me to read about the various sizes of survivors or those than went before the one who passed away. Families large and small grieve their loved ones. Pictures of the deceased, sometimes very recent or sometimes when they were at their prime of their life.

So strange to have one's life summed up in a brief paragraph.

Since I've started to read them regularly, I've found a few people who I or my family knew. I was glad to be able to alert my family in case they never found out. It's so weird to see a high school classmate of mine in the paper.

Comments

[jen4luck.livejournal.com]

I read the obits too for exactly the same reason. I tend to scan the pictures for the young people or the very old. It's fascinating to me.

I've also been known to drive to the cemetary, find the old sections and read the stones. Woodland cemetary in Minneapolis has a section just for infants called "Babyland" and another section called "Showman's Rest" where entertainers and circus performers are buried who died when they were in town. It's amazing what you can learn about someone when they've passed. How much you can learn about a stranger.

[zestfive.livejournal.com]

hmmm...haven't thought of "browsing" a cemetary...perhaps it's the logistical factor. Perhaps I'm a bit of a voyeur...