Deserted bluebird box along backside of garden |
My friends father joked that he checked the obituaries first thing each morning and if he did not see his name, he knew it was a good day to get on with the daily drill. So yesterday afternoon after laundry, church, brunch and a nice walk in the cold outdoors, I was astounded when on the obituary page I saw my name, Patricia L Morrison! I said to Jerry, "Good Lord, I died!" and while he was tuned to football on the TV he said, "what?" Well the woman was older than me and lived across the river in Wisconsin and in FL, but sure enough there it was. A very odd feeling, especially because it was a tiny paragraph, promising more later. And then I said, "hey no body called to see if I'm here!" Well they'd seen me at church and after all the people who know me here know where I live and my age, so the vitals did not match. Still, don't you think someone might have commented? A few week ago another Pat Morrison submitted a recipe for a Twinkies cake and several people commented on that, no it wasn't me. But the obituary? Not a word, today I laugh.
I understand that in in 1888, Alfred
B. Nobel, inventor of dynamite, awoke to read his own obituary in the
newspaper, a careless error made by a reporter. His brother had died, the death of the wrong brother was documented. Nobel was shocked by reading his obituary that described him as “the dynamite king,
the industrialist who became rich from explosives.” This was his call to action, and he
resolved to change the
course of his life, and to do something positive for society. He left his
entire fortune to be awarded to individuals who have done the most for the
benefit of humanity. The result was the Nobel Prize – five prizes awarded
each year, the most notable of which is the Peace Prize.
I doubt I can top that, but it is an off putting feeling, ala Scrooge looking at the ghost of Christmas yet to be.. I had a doctor's appointment today and all is well, a simple check up. I forgot to mention to my doc that I was reported dead but all evidence indicates every sign of life here. We are packing up to head south in the motor home and this will be a dandy story to share with friends along the way.