Death can be a touchy subject, sacred to some, scary to others,
Death is part of life they say, especially the clergy, but it is the final part of life.
I don't think about the Grand Exit much, but when I did, I decided arranging my own funeral would be a good idea, and that led to today's column:
http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/stu_bykofsky/20150414_Welcome_to_my_funeral.html
I'm not sure there's an afterlife. As a rational person, I doubt it, but I don't disrespect those who believe in Heaven and Hell. (I hope there is a Hell for those who truly deserve it.)
I didn't mention it in the column, but I am an organ donor and those will be removed before cremation. I urge you to think about being an organ donor. One reader suggested donating my body to science, let's say a local medical school, but no thanks to that.
I want to share a couple of anecdotes about shooting the picture of me in the casket, which was made available by Williams Lombardo Funeral Home in Clifton Heights. You can't quite see it, but it is a sports motif casket the funeral home had made up for Wing Bowl.
Anyway, funeral director Joe Lombardo got a short ladder so I could get into casket without tipping it over, and a tall ladder for photographer David Swanson, so he could shoot down into it. Funny thing: Swanson's worked here for 28 years and this is the first time we ever chatted. Nice guy, good shooter and this was unlike anything he had shot before.
When I settled into the casket and I lowered the lid, for about a second I freaked out, but then quickly returned focus to the job. Think about the job, don't think about tempting fate. I don't believe in fate. Mostly, I believe people make their own fate.
The casket was uncomfortable, not as soft as I had expected. There was a metal brace running crosswise, which hurt my back.
"This isn't very comfortable," I told Lombardo.
"That's the first complaint we ever had," he said, and we all broke into laughter.
There was pretty good reaction to the column, mostly favorable, and included in that was a message from Patricia Stringer, cemetery guide at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Yes, cemetery guide.
She sent in a pix of Harry Kalas' monument, in the shape of a broadcast microphone, and flanked by seats from Veterans Stadium. Stringer tells me Kalas is the most popular stop on the tour, and she is leading one featuring writers, editors and publishers buried there on May 2.