Okay. It's odd. Maybe a little out of the ordinary. But obviously, I'm not the only one in the world who likes to read obituaries. There are others among us, perhaps even oodles of them, so don't visit your opprobrium on me just because I admit it in public.
Here's the fascinating thing for me. Each obituary is a quick snapshot of an entire life, birth to death, in chronological order. It offers what we can never achieve with regard to our own lives: perspective. Oh!, it says. Here's the overview, as seen from Mount Olympus. Here's what that person's life MEANT. It's the authorial point of view, as it were, applied to real people. To me, it's no wonder that people who are addicted to reading fiction might also be addicted to reading obituaries. It's all an exploration of the human condition and the fingerprints that Fate leaves on each of our lives.
Stopping by from A-Z. I actually enjoy reading obits. I live in the South and they can be mini series.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maggie! (that's the only nickname I could think of for "Magnolia".) Yes, I bet they can be mini-series in your neck of the woods... or mini-family trees! Thank you for taking time out from reading the obits to stop by and pay a visit!
Deletehave you read the book of obituaries? i got it for my husband a year or so ago. he found it quite interesting. me? not so much. enjoy the challenge!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam! I actually didn't know that there was a book of obituaries. I'll make sure and NOT get it. That would cross the line from interest into obsession. By the way, I met you once, standing on line waiting to get books autographed by Elizabeth Wein at the bookstore in Haverford. You, or the friend you were with, made the excellent suggestion of taking a selfie with her. Thank you! And thanks for stopping by here!
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