exhaustedI have this evening been dozing and messing with our main computer. I watch a lot of music reviews in Youtube. I love music as much as I love books. I probably spend as much money on music as I do books each month. I have always enjoy music since a child. Music is always playing somewhere in my existence.
All I have attempted to read today when able to is one of my newest books titled, 'An Ocean Of Light: Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation' by Martin Laird.
Carol and I left for her older brother's Memorial Service at his church (Reformed Church in America) around 12:35 PM. The actual Memorial Service was scheduled for 1:30 PM. When Carol and I arrived at Fellowship RCA there were already groups of family members (Dave was a husband and a grandfather he had four children three girls and one boy now all married with children. Dave had twelve grandchildren when he died.) I have had no contact with any of Dave's four children over the years and no contact with any of his twelve grandchildren either. So I did not talk to these people, but smiled and shook some hands. I personally felt like I was drowning, but sought to keep smiling. I had taken with me my Bible and the book 'An Ocean Of Light' to keep me anchored in some kind of floating reality.
I did take some pictures with a camera that I always take with me where ever I go, but felt weird snapping photos at unknown objects and strangers.
The Memorial Service for Dave was very working class kind of service. I noticed the ministers who were officiating wore old clothes and old shoes. I was surprised how the ministers were dressed because Fellowship RCA is a massive church complex! I thought I would meet very sharp dressed professional type ministers at the head of such a massive church, but one minister was quite old and the other minister could be his grandson that conducted the Memorial Service. These two RCA ministers were skilled in conducting a working class funeral. Two of Dave's three daughters shared memories of their Dad and Papa. Also one of the grandchildren, the oldest grandson shared some memories of being at a baseball game with Papa who passed on to him a chose gem of wisdom, "always catch a baseball with both hands". A close friend of Dave and Gail's who they knew when they lived in Florida during Michigan winters who had flown up to attend the funeral as to share memories of Dave collected among Dave and Gail's trailer park friends. The fellow said Dave was a good guy and liked to play pranks etc. . . Lastly Carol my wife shared memories of her older brother Dave.
After Carol read her speech the older minister delivered a brief message about life and death. After the brief religious message we listened to two cowboy songs that Dave liked and wanted played at his funeral. I thought the cowboy songs were weird, especially at a Christian funeral service. But I suppose Dave liked cowboy music and that is what he wanted people to remember his love for cowboy music. The two cowboy songs were these two, 'Go High On That Mountain' Vince Gill and 'When I Get Where I'm Going' Brad Paisley & Dolly Parton.
There was one hymn sung, if you call it singing. The hymn chosen was, 'O That Will Be Glory', which is a good hymn to be sung at a funeral. The problem is that from what I gathered from the singing no one knew how to sing the hymn so the church was filled with people not singing this hymn but mumbling the words. It was disappointing to say the least. At a Christian funeral service there should be loud praise 'O That Will Be Glory!'
Dave's Memorial Service was ended by people screaming, 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game!'.
I left immediately after the Memorial Service. I needed to get back to Reality.
I will write more tomorrow about what I did after leaving from Dave's funeral service or Memorial Service.
