A MONTH OF BEING DEAD

 Image by Christine Denck 

http://www.denckste.de/

I'm usually too busy or distracted to prepare for my own death.  I think about it often, especially now that I'm "past my prime," but haven't really taken the time to actually put things all together.  Sure, Phil and I have Living Wills and a Last Will and Testament (as it is formally referred to), but they desperately need updating.  That was when we took Mits Aoki's  course on Death & Dying and prepared our own funeral and stuff.  But, Golly Miss Molly, that was so long ago and everything has changed since.  So when Phil and I were working through a health challenge recently, we started mulling again over our death (we're experts at mulling, not so good at action).  

Phil said that he did not want to die precipitously; he wanted time to prepare.

"How much time would you need?" I asked.

"A month." was his answer.

"Well, then," I suggested, "let's take a month off to die.  Let's just act like we're dead already."

It took quite a while to convince Phil that we could make it fun.  For a Roman Catholic, that's blasphemous, what all with Hell and Limbo hanging in  the balance, and not dying before you get your Last Rites administered!  I don't care if you have ten college degrees, this early childhood brainwashing is lethal.  Not that Phil would ever cop to still be under the church's influence, but jeez, ask any Catholic.

So here we are.  Today is our first day.  This post is coming to you from my dead self.

Drawing of me by my son, Phillip Schalekamp

http://pschalekamp.com/home.html

 

We've cleared our calendar of all work-related stuff and are focusing only on issues and activities directly related to our death and dying.  Wish us Happy Trails as we wend our way through the Waikiki of Death & Dying.