(#6147) When I was young I would read the obituary pages

      Sitting here thinking about why I did that brings to mind that these folks who died lived lives and often their short story was described. They mattered to someone and acknowledging that was their way of saying goodbye. For me it was learning how these folks lived and what they did with their time. Surely it wasn't a full account nor even as much as they would have liked but it did give me perspective on how to live my life. Morbid as it may seem I needed to read those obits as a way to not only give the deceased a chance to influence me but to give them the dignity of me knowing at least something about them.
     Most were good people but every now and then a bad person would die and the obituary would gloss over their digressions. I understand that with those who were notorious because the obituary is usually a closure mechanism for those left behind. For me it was less about their lives and more about what harm they caused while alive. It is now that I am thinking about this and the reason is that some in our world need to be not in it. They are not respectful civilized human beings. They leave a trail of harm behind them and are still harming going forward. For those who are like that an obituary would be useless as a closure mechanism. It would only be a confirmation that a dishonorable person has gone and if anything a relief at their passing.
     I am sad to have to admit that I feel this way because all of life should be at minimum precious. But in life there are those who have caused such harm that any preciousness left long ago and only the end of them remains as a marker in time. We know who a few of these are in our modern age, They have gone out of their way to harm when no reason but their own mental disorder is their desire. For those in our world, I am again waiting to see their obituaries. Not to read them but to see that they are not living in our existence any longer. There should never be people in our existence who choose to harm when helping is the alternative. For those who love harm more than helping I hope to see them soon in the obit column.