I know people grieve in different ways, and that's o.k., but am I the only one who thinks the windshield memorial is a little bizarre?
Every time I see one (which is more and more often), I first wonder if the person being memorialized is looking down from heaven, full of satisfaction knowing that he/she will be remembered forever...or at least until the lease on the car runs out.
The next thing is I do some quick math to see how old that person was when they passed away. My remorse for that person is inversely related to the number of years lived (i.e. a 5 year old = tragic, 99 year old = maybe it was his time/he certainly lived a long life). Bonus remorse points for any sports team number or club affiliation - it's tough to lose a 3rd basemen unexpectedly.
Then I wonder why we as a society don't memorialize people while they are alive. I would enjoy seeing my name on my wife's, or anyone else's, back windshield while I was alive to enjoy it. It could have my name and birthday (to help people remember) and just leave the date of passing blank. But why stop there? Why not put a flower vase in the trunk? If that person is deserving of a custom label, they certainly deserve fresh cut flowers every morning.
Come to think of it, there are many possibilities in this realm. Many folks already have their family tree on the lower left hand corner of the mini-van. Why not use the whole back windshield? Little Jimmy's off to college? He goes to the upper left hand corner. Paws Skaggs, the family cat, goes to the great beyond? Upper right side (a.k.a. Heaven). That rich uncle who served on the board of a giant tobacco conglomerate passes on? He moves to the exhaust pipe (a.k.a....well you get the picture).
I guess I shouldn't talk - I had an "I Love Milk" bumper sticker on my car for years.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Window Memorials
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3 comments:
I'm so glad you don't like those and see their superfluocity. It's probably why we're friends.
And yes, I invented that word. It's like "truthiness" or something. ;-)
~B
You know . . . I ahve a morbid fascination with roadside memorials. But I have never been keen on the window memorials. Or like when we were in middle school and my friend died, people shaved the under part of their hair and shaved his initials in. I thought that was a little weird too. As for the memorialization of the living . . . well how could I NOT get behind that! Yes supe up Suzie's car with a sweet I (heart) John 08/08/78 sticker. Or better than put the vase in the trunk, glue it to the side of the car! or the front of the hood - like a mercedes symbol. It would be the best thing ever. Wouldn't you feel special? I know I would. In fact maybe Kyle should paint his bumber with stats on my greatness. I'm just saying . . . you might be starting a revolutionary industry! Who needs law school now?
When I got back from Japan, my friend who was car sitting for me ended up putting all the memorials I had written about on my back windshield! It was geat!
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