Learning From the Dead...

What in this life, matters? Go to a funeral. Better yet, go to a funeral of someone you knew. There, people tend to remember their dear departed in glowing, sentimental terms. I used to think, awww this is bullshit! People are just saying this kind of stuff because this person is gone!

But now I view it a differently: I think they remember the good stuff because the good stuff is what is ultimately real about us. It's the best parts of us that are the most real. And while the person was alive OUR bullshit kept us from seeing and appreciating the best in them, too. But when it's all over, it all becomes clear: The bullshit is forgotten and the good remains. To endure the vicissitudes of life, to procreate, to make a contribution, be a friend, keep a commitment, to love and be loved–there is something to be said for all that.