We're Alike, You and I
We're all one, man. We writers. So what's everybody doing this Labor Day weekend? Must be the price of gas or the alignment of the stars but literally everybody I know is working this weekend, myself included. But that's cool - a couple of quiet days to really catch up is a good thing. Weekdays for me are overflowing with phone calls, lunches and emails and it's actually hard to find a couple of quiet hours to do what I primarily do - work with writers.
Today I am judging the semi-final round of the Silver Screenwriting Competition. This is really fun but so hard to choose - we got some GREAT scripts. Something was definitely in the water.
Here's a weird writerly question - recognizing that it's profoundly narcissistic, have you ever pictured your own funeral? Like what kind of food would be served? Who would be there? Have you got it all planned out? I wonder if funerals for people in our age bracket (shut up, you in the back) will consistently become celebrations rather than sad events, as in the past. Would you have an open casket? No FREAKING WAY for me. Then as a writer, you do weird things like have this conversation with yourself:
That's weird and narcissistic! Get help, man. How long since your last therapy appointment, for real?
But what if nobody knows what I want my funeral to be and I wind up with a boring one? It's important, man! I have to have it all planned!
Your funeral is not for you, ding dong, it's for the ones you left behind.
Nuh uh! It's about who I am!
Yeah okay good look getting the permits on this "funeral" you have in mind, and by the way you might want to focus on living for now.
I want a Viking funeral; put me on a boat, set it on fire and shove it off the shore and into the ocean. Permits aside, that's one cool funeral. And while I was floating out into the ocean, And She Was by the Talking Heads would be playing and the guests would have a clam bake on the beach and drink punchbowls of my famous Pineapple Rum Surprise. That's a party, man.
Who's in? And who's watching FITZCARRALDO this weekend, hm?
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8 comments:
Working today AND tomorrow. Love holiday weekends -- provides so much more time to write. This morning I hit the coffee shop at 8am and wrote until 11:30am. This afternoon, while watching NASCAR, I will type what I wrote into the computer. Tomorrow I will do it all over again and then dread going back to my REAL job.
As for my funeral.... Sweet and sour cabbage -- kielbasa -- beer. Have a party on me. Or...
Leave me at the curb -- in a trash bag -- on Friday -- pick up day ;-)
Keep Writing,
Mike
Best funeral I ever heard--yes, heard--was Lenny Bruce's, on radio station WBAI in New York way back when. They did a live broadcast from the event, which featured Lenny in his casket on a long table, everyone drinking and smoking dope around it, and some terrific musicians playing.
One happy send off for the great one.
Writing, like every other day. : )
Good luck to the remaining contestants!
Sounds delightful. When is it?
Mike, you sound so suave and cool. Glad to hear you're so committed to being a writer.
Will TRY to write for about 3 hrs later today, then it's the full 8 tommorrow before the dreaded day job thing comes back round again.
Julie, don't think much about my funeral. But being half Sweedish the Viking funeral doesn't sound half bad.
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
well i just plan on not dying. sure being an immortal in Hollywood raises ageism issues of its own but you could have worse problems
If I have to think about my own funeral, I'd like to being something I'd never do alive. Like being naked in public. Yeah. Naked with open casket, providing that everything still intact and the embalmer takes care of shrinkage. Oh I wouldn't the difference, would I? OK, just naked then. And all subjects of my desires are invited: I look better naked. Dead naked. And still willing to get to know you.
Still recuperating from this godawful kidney stone, but am writing my way through it.
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