Memorial

I went with mom to the memorial service of Dan Gelbert, a friend of dad's today.  I don't remember the guy all that well, but I remember running around with his son a fair amount, setting off firecrackers and riding on this old school enormous skateboard ramp he built in his driveway.

There's no reason to delve into a ton of detail, but I can say that it was really lovely.  There is something very beautiful about a group of friends and family coming together to honor and celebrate someone in stories.  In fact, you cannot but wish that you had known the person better.  And it is lovely as well to see how communities of people are bound together in these shared narratives.

This is the 3rd memorial I've been to now in the last few months.  First my uncle Ballard's, then Stephen's, now Dan's, on top of dad's and Sophie's last year.  I would rue this fact, but it is what it is.  This is where I've gotten to in life. The funeral to wedding ratio is gonna ramp up, offset for a spell at least by graduations.  Gotta celebrate em all.


*I realize that stylistically this is a little blech.  Some of you who have been with me for a while may be going, like, "where is the badassed and incisive Grouse of yore?"  Fact is, as the blog soldiers on through the years, it serves different purposes for me.  Where once it was a place for me to practice writing as a craft, as time has moved on I view it more as a place to practice writing as a practice, craft be -- if not quite damned -- in any case back burnered. I don't think they'll be putting this URL on my gravestone.  That would be a bit wierd.