Obituaries

I have read obits in newspapers since I was in high school and had the job at the funeral home. It was then of interest to know what the competition had in the way of "bodies" and to proof read the obits of our "clients".

Later in life as a practioner of neurosurgery, obits were of interest for a more practical reason. I needed to know who died out of interest in my patients who were ill or that I had treated in the past. One did not want to meet a member of the family out in public and inquire about how about Aunt Susie was doing, only to be told that she had been dead for months. Not kosher at all.

Now I read obits on the internet dealing with cities in which I practiced, as well as, the local obits in the local papers here. I still have a friend in the funeral home business, and I like to see how his outfit is doing. Why here in CH? Because the obits are so much more a form of art. They are known as "death circulars", and they often have ornate engravings besides the information about the deceased. Some weeks after a person dies, a eulogy appears in an adjacent page to the obits. There are usually 3-4 of these with each issue.

The eulogies are always glowing reports of the person's life from birth onward, with the story on their education, work, marriage, progeny, etc., and only a veiled report of the terminal events. No matter what, these are always crafted to show the person in the best light. Some guy may have been a lothario and an axe murderer, but you will never know it from his eulogy. Terms such as "birth" and "death" are replaced by "first saw the light of day" and "entered a peaceful sleep as the circle of life closed completely".

Bonding???

A lot of people are heard to say something about two people "bonding". I have tried to pin some of them down about an exact definition without much success. The only definition I could find that comes close to what people must mean is "to have a close relationship based on shared feelings.

That is all well and good, but how does that apply to animals or babies? How can two adults bond if neither knows the other very well? Is bonding permanent? If not, how long does it last? Is it a one time thing? I just am clueless. Are those bonded automatically friends? Is there a difference in being bonded and being friends? Are there external signs of bonding?

I think this must be some sort of a Yankee thing. I hear it sometimes with just a hit of sarcasm in the background. I fear that one would have some degree of trouble on his hands if one proposed to "Bubba" that he and his friend Lester had bonded.

Back at Home

After what seems a year or so, we are back in CH. Two months in RI were great with a lot of friends and family there off and on. Then a surprise trip to Ireland for a week with more family. Now, I have to get out from under a pile of mail, etc.

CH was in fine shape after we got back. Except for the weeds in the patio garden. The Idyllers continue to come and go, my German has come back (what there is of it), and my old CH friends seem to be well and happy.

The highlights of the summer were having my children and grandchildren with us in RI for almost a month, seeing the others in RI, and of course, the trip to Ireland.

Ireland was a real treat. I have never met such nice people who have such a great humor about them. Even the policeman who caught us speeding was a funny guy (and he did not give us a ticket). The Irish landscapes are beautiful, the weather is ever changing, and the ancient ruins were so stark. The people and the country have had many hard times over the centuries, but their economy is now booming. The best part of the trip was being together with some of the family.

We did different things but always got together in the PM to eat some great dishes and drink some fine beer and whiskey. We never did get some Irish moonshine called "Po Chine" ?sp? I have a pot load of video to work on for a movie about the trip.