Except for Six Strangers

[snopes]

It was extremely hot and humid. Any movement at all caused perspiration to form on my brow eventually running like a fresh rain down my face.

I had arrived early and was standing in the parking lot.

After a few minutes I wandered inside to find a place out of the sun and hopefully into the cool air being generated by the small window air conditioner facing the lot.

I was out of the sun, but far from cool.

The only other time I was ever in a funeral home by myself was when my Gramps died. The director always let me arrive early so I could spend some private time with him.

I loved my Gramps so much.

This time, however, I didn't even know the man and I was about to participate in his funeral.

A man walked in and thanked me for being there. "We have him ready. There will be no viewing, of course. We will hold a simple ceremony at the grave site," he said.

When the others arrived we all followed the hearse a few miles down the road to the cemetery. Upon entering, the driver slowed down for a moment just outside the chapel.

"Good, at least he will have a church service," I thought to myself.

Suddenly the cars in front of me began to move.

Following them down a winding road we made a sharp turn and pulled up along the roadside.

The hearse drove right up to the open grave and back up to it.

I got out of the car and back into the sweltering heat. The grass crunched below my feet as dust flew up in the air with each step.

The back door opened and inside was the simple wooden casket of ...wait I don't even know his name!

"Can I help you with that?" I asked.

"If you'd like to. There's no handles on it so you have to grab it from the bottom," he said.

With little effort, four of us lifted and placed the man over his final resting place.

Including the funeral director, there were six of us in attendance.

The chaplain began his brief service and I began to disconnect. I mean, I couldn't believe this. All the thoughts of how sad this was. All the images of no one being there for him and no one caring trashed my brain.

"And so we commit our friend..." the chaplain went on.

And then it was over.

"May I ask," the director said. "Did any of you know him? I mean, would you know him by sight?"

One of the nurses replied, "Yes."

"Would you please take a moment to identify him?" He asked.

He was about to open the casket.

We all stood there nervously anxious and uneasy. I've certainly seen enough dead people in my life, but this seemed odd to me. Right there in the cemetery...he opened the casket.

The man was in a nice dress shirt and without any fancy linen, silk or even cotton lining in the box he was leaning toward us.

"This would be the very last time that the sun would shine on him," I thought to myself. Then the lid was closed.

For 57 years my life zig zagged in a thousand directions. For 70 some his did, too. On this day, in early August 2007, our lives crossed. I didn't know him and he didn't know me. I never had the honor of speaking with him nor did I ever hear a word about him before this very day.

He had loved, laughed and lived well over 25,550 days. In doing so he touched thousands of lives and still, on the very last day none of those people were there.

That is except for six strangers.

I have since learned that he did indeed have family. But none of them spoke to each other for more than a third of his life.

Are you saddened by this?

Me, too.

Is there someone you need to call right now? Someone you haven't spoken to for many years? Someone who would love to know you cared enough to forgive, ask for forgiveness, forget, move on, begin again, start over, love anyway?

Me, too.

Imagine being that man who had no one, "that is except for six strangers."

[Jefuemon]

Originally Posted by snopes

"May I ask," the director said. "Did any of you know him? I mean, would you know him by sight?"

One of the nurses replied, "Yes."

"Would you please take a moment to identify him?" He asked.

So, he's been embalmed, grave is dug and ready, and NOW they're IDing him?

I'm sorry graveside glurges do nothing for me, the body is a husk whatever made that person a person is long gone. As far as I'm concerned when my body is no longer inhabited by me they could chuck it on the compost heap for all I care.
By the way no one said he was unhappy with the situation, some people are completely satisfied with minimal human contact. What would the Glurger prefer relatives coming out of the woodwork just to see what they can grab from the guys estate?

[Insensible Crier]

Originally Posted by snopes

Imagine being that man who had no one, "that is except for six strangers."

Okay, this one got to me because that's pretty much all I'm expecting at this point. Actually it would probably be more like just two guys and a backhoe.

Originally Posted by snopes

I have since learned that he did indeed have family. But none of them spoke to each other for more than a third of his life.

I hate to bring this up at such a delicate moment, but sometimes you break off contact with someone for a very valid reason.

"May I ask," the director said. "Did any of you know him? I mean, would you know him by sight?"

One of the nurses replied, "Yes."

"Would you please take a moment to identify him?" He asked.

He was about to open the casket.

We all stood there nervously anxious and uneasy. I've certainly seen enough dead people in my life, but this seemed odd to me. Right there in the cemetery...he opened the casket.

Then the nurse said, "Yep that's the bastard...".

[Dr. Dave]

See, I was expecting the minister to introduce an attorney, who would declare "As executor of the estate, I am instructed to divide $96 million amongst the six of you who attended this funeral."

http://www.snopes.com/luck/will.asp

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by snopes

The only other time I was ever in a funeral home by myself was when my Gramps died. The director always let me arrive early so I could spend some private time with him.

Always? How many times did Gramps die?

[Ryda Wong, EBfCo.]

Kay, there is an easy way to tell this is a bunch of bull.

It was extremely hot and humid. Any movement at all caused perspiration to form on my brow eventually running like a fresh rain down my face.

Anyone who has lived in hot and humid climates knows that your sweat is anything but a "fresh rain."

More like getting sprayed with a sprinkler attached to warm sewer water.

Originally Posted by Lainie

Always? How many times did Gramps die?

Well he did say "Gramps. Maybe he was from a more complex family and he had a whole herd of them....


"It's you again. Which one is it this time?"
"Gramps."
"Which one?"
"Gramp-Bob."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I always liked him."
"No, you liked Gramp-Bill."
"Oh. Then which one was Gramp-Bob?"
"The bastard."
"Oh, him. I never liked that SOB."
...

[Darth Credence]

What I want to know is why the six strangers were there at all. Is there a club that sends people to funerals no one attends?

[diddy]

Originally Posted by Lainie

Always? How many times did Gramps die?

Well do re-incarnations count?

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Darth Credence

What I want to know is why the six strangers were there at all. Is there a club that sends people to funerals no one attends?

Yes. They're all hoping to get cut in on the will.

- snopes

[Dr. Dave]

Originally Posted by snopes

Yes. They're all hoping to get cut in on the will.

- snopes

Psst, snopes, I beat you to it by 6 posts and a few hours. Well, you (I mean Barbara) beat me to it by a couple of years, but you know what I mean.

Originally Posted by snopes

Is there someone you need to call right now?

No.

Someone you haven't spoken to for many years?

Yes, and I'm very glad for that.

Someone who would love to know you cared enough to forgive, ask for forgiveness, forget, move on, begin again, start over, love anyway?

No, that isn't what would happen. Trust me.

Like Doug says, sometimes there's a really good reason.

What I want to know is why the six strangers were there at all. Is there a club that sends people to funerals no one attends?

It's already been said, but since when do they ID bodies AT the burial? Makes no sense.

[DawnStorm]

Originally Posted by Ryda Wong, EBfCo.

Kay, there is an easy way to tell this is a bunch of bull.



Anyone who has lived in hot and humid climates knows that your sweat is anything but a "fresh rain."

More like getting sprayed with a sprinkler attached to warm sewer water.

Absolutely!! Many times it's like getting smacked with a sopping wet wool blanket.

Dawn--it's not the heat, it's the humidity--Storm

[One-Fang]

Originally Posted by snopes

After a few minutes I wandered inside to find a place out of the sun and hopefully into the cool air being generated by the small window air conditioner facing the lot.

It's so hot that any movement "at all" causes sweat, and you stand out in the carpark for a few minutes before thinking to ... oh I dunno ... move inside!?

The only other time I was ever in a funeral home by myself was when my Gramps died. The director always let me arrive early so I could spend some private time with him.

I'm with the other poster on this. "Always"? "Gramps" does refer to one person, normally.

This time, however, I didn't even know the man and I was about to participate in his funeral.

I'm quite disappointed we never found out why.

I got out of the car and back into the sweltering heat. The grass crunched below my feet as dust flew up in the air with each step.

Are you on grass or dust? It's not normally both. It was so hot the grass ... "crunched" ...? The only grass I've ever crunched is covered in the fresh frost of the early winter morning. It's usually a bit more like wilting in the hot summer heat.

Are you saddened by this?

Like other snopesters, no. I also have family that fit this bill. Long may the evil witch stay the hell away from me!

http://www.cbs.com/latenight/latesho...19930930.phtml

Top Ten Signs You Have No Friends

5. At your funeral, the entire eulogy is, "Yep. He's dead."

Originally Posted by One-Fang

I'm quite disappointed we never found out why.

Heh, me too. The line reminds me of the beginning of "The Great Divorce":

I seemed to be standing in a busy queue by the side of a long, mean street. Evening was just closing in and it was raining.

Like other snopesters, no. I also have family that fit this bill. Long may the evil witch stay the hell away from me!

Thank God I'm not the only one. Ding DONG!