What Is My Fascination With Reading The Obituaries?

arwalden

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 10:03 PM
Original message

What Is My Fascination With Reading The Obituaries?

Is it because I go through stages of being more aware of my own mortality? Am I being morbid to want to know the details of the death of a perfect stranger? Is it simply a matter of being able to find comfort in thinking to myself "the poor bastard... at least it wasn't me"?

-- Allen

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Career Prole

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 10:08 PM
Response to Original message

1. Subconciously looking for more "whistleass" inspiration? :) n/t

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

BiggJawn

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 10:12 PM
Response to Original message

2. Don't know about you, I'm looking for my ex-wife...

Seriously....

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

texasmom

(490 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 10:13 PM
Response to Original message

3. I have no idea, but

I do it, too. :-)

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Lydia Leftcoast

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 10:42 PM
Response to Original message

4. I think it's an age thing

We're getting old enough to know people who have died, and we don't want to miss that knowledge.

I recently reconnected with an arts group that I was involved with eighteen years ago, because they invited all the alumni to perform in an anniversary show.

I found out that two people, both about my age and from my "era," had died of cancer.

Recently, I googled the names of some old high school and college classmates and found four more death notices.

I simply scan the obituaries for familiar names. My mother, age 83, reads every word of each one.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

arwalden

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 10:45 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. Some Google Searches Of Mine Have Turned Up Obit Pages As Well

It's a bit of a shock sometimes. One: because they died so young, so suddenly. Two: because I was out of the loop and I didn't hear about it first-hand... and only found out accidentally.

-- Allen

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Skittles

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 10:45 PM
Response to Original message

5. because they are fascinating

they sum up an entire person's life in a few paragraphs. And what about those ones that take up and entire column in the paper from top to bottom? TMI.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Steven_S

(810 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 11:10 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. That would be my reason too...

Way back when I had a subscription to the NY Times I liked reading them. The people always seemed to have facinating, full lives and all I did was clean sewers for a living.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Skittles

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-29-04 09:33 AM
Response to Reply #7

10. EXCUSE ME

and what would it be like if no one cleaned the sewers !!!!!!! You people are VALUABLE.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

redqueen

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-29-04 05:40 PM
Response to Reply #10

13. I'll second that, Skittles

Why is it that many only prize what is rare? Common things are very valuable too. To me, there is a kind of honor and dignity in manual labor that you just can't find in other kinds of work.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

ScreamingMeemie

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 11:12 PM
Response to Original message

8. I do it too. I think it's pretty normal to do. I don't think it's morbid.

:hi:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

OneBlueSky

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-28-04 11:39 PM
Response to Original message

9. from "How Do I Know" . . . as sung by Pete Seeger . . .

Each morning I wake up and dust off my wits,
I pick up the paper and read the obits,
And if I'm not there, I know I'm not dead,
So I eat a good breakfast and go back to bed.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Nikia

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-29-04 05:19 PM
Response to Original message

11. Really morbid reason in this bad economy

It alerts me to possible job openings. Many obituaries around here list where the person worked. If it was a young healthy person who died suddenly, that means that there is probably a job opening at that company. Of course if that person died in an industrial accident, I might not want to work there.
Actually, I am not a vulture. I don't really do this. I thought of it though and once gave that advice to a friend.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

geniph

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-29-04 05:34 PM
Response to Original message

12. I'm looking to reassure myself

that most of the people dying are still older than I am. I hate seeing people near my own age - or heaven forbid, YOUNGER - in the obits.

I'll probably stop reading them again when the average age is less than my own.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

TX-RAT

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-29-04 05:42 PM
Response to Original message

14. Comes with age

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Sun May 05th 2024, 01:55 PM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.