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Post Dead

Each time I read about yet another new thing to turn a dead person's ashes into,  I wonder about the pace of innovation and what it is means for death itself. Right now, the dead have a dozen options. Depending on who is making the decisions, the dead may not be able to depart without drama  - have their ashes scattered the old fashioned way or be buried. 

Instead they may end up as a paper weight in their loved ones office or be hanging on their living room wall as a portrait - every idea involves loss of dignity. Imagine ending up on eBay, being bought and sold years after you are are dead, never having a final place of repose - something once considered the inalienable right of the dead. The premise of using cremains as medium is about preserving memory tangibly. Yet reducing a complex human life into a trivial, lifeless object, is possibly the worst way to do it. 
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Comments

sandhya said…
Agree.
9:22 AM
RewaTee said…
An example of how "right" and "wrong" is all about perception. Maybe the person who wanted the ashes of their loved one in a paperweight thought it will help them to not miss the dead person. But of course, I believe in the traditional ways of 'last rites' and agree that they are more dignified ways as you say.

Btw..I love your blog and have been following it for ages now. I am sure this kind of praise is not new for you.
5:58 AM
Anonymous said…
A (very highly regarded) guy in the comics industry had his ashes mixed into the ink of a paperback compilation book which put together in one book a comic book 12-issue mini series he had written some years earlier.

It was creepy and somehow cool.

8:51 PM
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