At Peace

When the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 after an 86-year drought, Bill Simmons wrote a book called Now I Can Die in Peace. I was never a baseball guy, but the concept stuck with me. 

At now at age 40, I can look at the life I've built and say that I feel at peace. 

To recap, here's where I'm at:

married to the love of my life
granted the opportunity to be a dad to two wonderful boys
made a successful advertising career and achieved my lifelong goal of becoming Creative Director
made great friends in college and have been able to hang on to them
traveled the world including Hawaii, Italy, Greece, Jamaica, Argentina
saw the Chiefs win multiple Super Bowls and the Avalanche lift the Cup
saw Derren Brown in person and go on stage as part of the finale

seen all my favorite bands in person

made my soul happy by creating books, movies, music, podcasts and a cookbook

So what does this mean?

Two things. 

1. I've built a great life and I want to keep enjoying it. But tomorrow is not promised. If my time is up before I expect, I want everyone to know (including myself) that I'm at peace. 

2. I've built a great life and I want to keep enjoying it. While I'm sure that I will embark on new hobbies, visit new places, achieve new milestones...what I really want to focus on is savoring the life that I've created and not take any of it for granted.

on death

I think about death sometimes. I'm not sure if I do it "a lot" or more than "normal." But I think about it.

Every time I start writing a book I imagine what would happen if I died before I finish it. I'd want people to assemble everything I'd written to that point and have it printed for anyone, even if it was really bad.

I don't have a will yet. I suppose one day I'll need to have one. Until then, I suppose this will suffice. I don't want to be buried in the ground. By default I had assumed that meant cremation...which is only one letter away from creation, I fact I stumbled upon moments ago with a typo. Interesting?

Although a quick google revealed a funeral proceess called, promession, where the body is frozen by liquid nitrogen and than shattered into a powder. Basically either by fire or ice, we can turn our bodies into dust. I'm not sure which I'd prefer...although I suppose cremation would be simpler, and therefore easier on those taking care of the arrangements.

As for scattering my ashes--and I would want them scattered so I don't end up as one of the Family Matters situations where Urkel knocks over my urn and then has to replace it with ash from a fireplace before Carl Winslow comes home--I don't think I know where it should be yet. One suitable place would be Jamaica, specifically the waterfall that I visited near Ocho Rios. Also acceptable would be outside Arrowhead Stadium, but only after a win. But I figure one day I'll come up with something better. A river wouldn't be bad in theory, you know, water flowing on and on, but the Mississippi or anything like it is pretty dirty.

As of today, I wouldn't want to be in a cemetery where people have to go to feel sad. I'd want anyone who cared to remember this life with a gentle fondness and not get down about it.

Update 1.21.10: After a few months of reflection, my current feelings are that I'm sure I'd want my ashes scattered in nature. No parking lots, no trip to Jamaica required. Preferably some place pure--not the dirty Mississippi. Colorado mountains, or a clean stream would be nice. Or even a forest area would be okay. More on this as I develop.

Songs I'd like played at my funeral, in order:
What I Got (reprise) - Sublime
Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
Piano Man - Billy Joel (but only if people will sing along)
1,2,3 - 311

I'm sure Hoagie Central isn't an official document, and hopefully I'll live long enough to put this out there in some other format, but at least this means that no one's going to bury me in Peoria.