Life and Death

My family background is Scottish!  My father was born in Scotland, my mother from Missouri, and I am sure every families customs and beliefs are different and we generally take on certain customs and beliefs from our parents.

I was raised believing that one should celebrate the end of ones life with all the gusto that one would normally celebrate a birthday with.  The whole mourning process, the ceremonies with the body in casket, fancy head stones, and expensive graves for what is left of your spent and used up earthly body is beyond me.  Your body once your dead has about the same significance as a empty aluminum Coke can, except you can get a few cents for enough empty pop cans!  Your body is not you, it isn’t even who you were.

I was raised believing this way, that death isn’t a sad time but a rejoice full time.  My family holds wakes.  I was raised believing that if a person was a good person it should be a hell of a party, with people remembering good things and times had with the recently departed.  If the person was not so nice then it probably won’t be that good of a wake!  As I said that is the way I was raised to believe about the death of people.  As I get older and have started losing people close to me, it really challenges my beliefs.  It forces one to think about life and death, the afterlife, and your religious faith in what you believe.

I have been with Community Wholesale Tire for going on twenty years and it is amazing how many people you meet and get to know in that span of time.  Today, I got word that a gentleman who was working for Community Tire when I started there in 1992 has passed.  He has worked there since 1985.  Officially he has been retired for the past couple of years but as recently as last month he has driven for us as a relief driver, in a pinch, when someone calls in or goes on vacation.  I am not sad, but I am experiencing a severe sense of melancholy.

I think what is bothering me most is the fact that the world is so short of decent hard working honest people, who are just so truly a pleasant to be around, that when you lose a friend like that it is truly a terrible loss.  This was one of those gentleman you may only meet the likes of such once or twice in a lifetime.  It is quite the loss of a very sincere friend, co-worker, and one hell of a standup guy, from an age gone by.  Old School, real stand up guy.  I am filled with such memories of his teaching, helping, instructing me and the younger drivers.  During his tenure with our company he drove way over a million miles without an accident.  He was always pleasant and cheerful, with a touch of gruff to let you know he cared about you.  I shall really miss him.

God Bless and Good Night every one.

Oh, Thursday, there is going to be one hell of a party!  A wake for the one the grandest gentleman I have ever had the pleasure of sharing so many parts of my life with over the last twenty years!

Posted in: Life Death Wake Scottish Beliefs