this scene is dead

have you ever wondered why people spend so much money on their dead loved ones?

going through the process of embalming, hiring someone to paint the corpse to look like they're sleeping- like they're still alive.

and what's the point in giving them a nice, comfortable, satin-trimmed, cotton-filled casket, decorated with elaborate designs and made to last an eternity?

do dead people need to be comfortable?

i think a lot of us believe that once we die, our body and soul separate, and our soul moves on to heaven (or whatever place other people believe)

and you know, sooner or later, there won't be any more room for all these caskets.

the one thing i remember about my grandfather's funeral is that i hated to look at him in his open casket.
not because of the fact that he had passed away,
just that he looked so..fake.
i remember people saying "oh the mortician did such a good job, he looks so much younger and healthier!"
i thought it was gross.
when i think of my grandfather, i don't want the first image in my mind to be him looking cold and clammy in his casket.
i want to remember him in his big green armchair, his glittering eye, rosy cheeks and big red nose.

what got me thinking about all this is in my religious approaches to death class, we read an article about the burial rituals of Americans and its origins.

never thought about that, huh?

the process of embalming isn't even Christian, it actually originates from the pagan Egyptian traditions (like mummies), and was highly looked down upon by early Christian leaders.

and caskets? they used to all be made out of plain pinewood, until some guys thought it would be a good idea to make money by selling pretty caskets.

i guess it makes sense that people have open casket funerals because of our curiosity for the dead,
but i just don't think i would be able to stand the sight of the corpse of someone i love.

Lately i've been telling this to people,
and i'll say it again:
when i die,
i want to be cremated.
my fourth grade teacher told me about how she wanted to be cremated because it's cheaper,
and i like being thrifty.
no casket, no plot of land, no embalming, etc.
less dead body pollution.

i would like my ashes to be thrown into the ocean. in Santa Barbara and in Korea.
it's not that gross. there are so many grosser things in the ocean.

my family can buy an urn and put flowers in it.
brighten up the house.