what do you want written on your tombstone

[orleans]

or your grave marker, memorial plaque, monument, urn, vault, or crypt? even if you want to be cremated & have your ashes scattered--if there was some type of memorial for you somewhere what would/should it say?

would you decide or leave it up to whoever is left to figure it out?

[Denninmi]

1. I don't want one.

I just want to be scattered into nature. If it's a pretty place, like a meadow full of wildflowers, that would be all the remembrance I would ever possibly want.

ANYONE should decide this for themselves and include in a will or at least a written letter of instruction to proposed personal representative or heirs. To leave it up to someone else you risk getting God knows what.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

2. Would have to go with some H.S.T.

(Here lies...) "One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."

Actually, it'll never happen. I've emphatically stated that I want my cremated remains scattered over a landfill. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Rincewind]

3. I want it to say:

"This space for rent, he is immortal".

[HappyMe]

4. 'I told you I was sick.'

[Lasher]

40. That has been my wish for decades.

Mrs. Lasher has always objected though. Guess I won't care because I'll be dead.

[ashling]

93. its been done

[Lasher]

94. Not on my tombstone

at least so far.

[ashling]

95. Maybe you're not trying hard enough

[Lasher]

99. Don't worry, I'm getting there.

But I don't think I'm going to get the epitaph I want.

[ashling]

100. As are we all

[LiveNudePolitics]

5. Get off My Lawn,

would probably be inappropriate, yes?

[MissHoneychurch]

6. Nothing

I want either an anonymous burial or a natural burial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_burial

[hobbit709]

7. Tombstone? I don't need no stinking tombstone!

[hay rick]

8. I knew this would happen.

Stolen from Dustin Hoffman.

[DFW]

9. "On the whole, I'd rather be in Wanne-Eikel."

Or else steal from the one Harry Truman used to quote: "Here lies DFW. He done his damndest"

Or maybe: "Can someone please grab a shovel and get me outta here? I got stuff to do this weekend."

Or just plain: WTF?

[Kali]

42. ha

I kind of like WTF?

[LWolf]

10. I don't plan to have anything to remember me by.

I want my ashes scattered.

If there were something, though, it would say:

"Just one of uncountable lives who passed through briefly."

[LiberalEsto]

11. Normal is boring

on the urn

[Scuba]

12. My request is to be cremated, so anything but "Kohler" or "American Standard" please.

[HopeHoops]

13. "I thought, therefore I was. Now I don't, so I'm not."

[Evergreen Emerald]

14. "Buried Alive"

courtesy: Phoebe Buffay

[mysuzuki2]

15. "I never thought it would come to this."

[CBGLuthier]

16. The year 2061 Would be Nice.

Screw sentiment I wanna live to be a hundred.

[Iggo]

17. "Can I help you?"

[hifiguy]

18. I Want to be cremated and have my ashes scattered

in a park or a lake. No one paid any attention to me when I was here, and I don't want to be ignored more after I am gone.

[rug]

19. yolo

[dimbear]

48. That's the next county east of here............

Very nice ag county. Very central valley.

[rug]

60. I bet they're sick of the you only live once meme.

[dimbear]

72. There's going to be a bit of a challenge for the preacher at McKinness's funeral.

There's a lot to smooth out.

He was a good............. (preacher breaks up)

Meanwhile in Yolo County, they're mainly celebrating putting out the forest fire.


edit: more proof I cannot spell much

[geardaddy]

20. I want to be tossed into the north woods of MN

for the bears, wolves, crows, ravens, and so on down the food chain line to chow down, as nature intended.

[Hula Popper]

21. Don't want a stone.........

My wife and I recently signed an agreement with the Univ. of Mn. to donate our bodies to their
Medical School. Perhaps something good will come our action. They do the disposal........

[geardaddy]

58. My dad did that!

They have a communal plot at Lakewood Cemetery.

They do a great memorial service every year. http://www.bequest.umn.edu/survivors/AnatomyMemorialService/home.html

[LeftinOH]

22. "Don't just stand there. Start digging!"

[rrneck]

23. I want to be blown up.

"BOOM! There he goes - God love him"

Courtesy George Carlin

[El Supremo]

24. What the hell was all that about?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

25. I saw this on a grave in Glencoe Ontario

and if I was going the bury route I'd use it. As it is, maybe I'll have it engraved for my urn.
"Remember man, as you pass by
as you are now, so once was I
as I am now, so you shall be,
so prepare for death and
follow me"
This has stuck with me since I was 12 and I'm considerably older now.

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. "Dear Citibank..NOW you know why I charged my card to the max last month"

[qwertyMike]

27. "Catch you on the flip side"

[UTUSN]

28. "NOT a Disruptor" - but cremation; won't be used. n/t

[caraher]

29. "This space deliberately left blank"

[progressivebydesign]

34. Lol. Or you could go with the Mel Brooks "your name here" joke.

but that seems a bit maudlin, doesn't it?

[OmahaBlueDog]

30. "Posting Privileges Revoked" - OmahaBlueDog called CreekDog names too obscene even for DU

..oh, wait..that's not the kind of tombstone you meant?

[IrishEyes]

31. "No Regrets"

[trof]

32. Ashes. "Whatever makes y'all feel good"

My philosophy: Life is like a light switch.
It's turned on when you be.
It turns off when you cease to be.
I admit I have some middle-of-the-night thoughts about 'no longer being'.
I'm 71 so, as you would imagine, I think about this more and more.

And then I think (rationalize) I will no longer 'be', so how can I feel anything after the fact?
Still, It kinda bothers me on a less than rational level.
To not 'be' any more.


Family and friends who want to mark the occasion of my no longer being can do whatever makes them feel better about it. Memorials are for those still being.

Miz t. subscribes to a mainstream church/religious belief.
If she wants a church/religious ceremony, and it makes her feel better about my no longer being, why not?
I don't believe it will matter to me one way or the other.

[NJCher]

63. it might matter

Mary Ann Winkowski, one of the country's foremost mediums, says she has yet to go to a funeral where the person is not in attendance (in spirit form) by their remains.

Whether you want to believe that or not is your business, but since I read it, I look at the casket or urn a little differently now.


Cher

[orleans]

102. ghost whisperer tv series was based on her

but you probably know that.

[progressivebydesign]

33. My stepdaughters and I discussed this. They want to with "well, on the bright side..."

and then come up with something pithy. That is my stock saying. No matter what, I always seem to say "well, on the bright side.." or "well, the good news in this is..." So I need to come up with the second half, for the eternal optimist.

An old boyfriend once said that it should be "hey, where'd everybody go?" lol

[pscot]

35. Just kick some dirt over me

and plant a tree.

[darkangel218]

36. I would like ..

"Happy in Lucifer's realm"

[wendylaroux]

37. "Why are you here? I am dead"--nt

[TrogL]

71. I like this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_not_stand_at_my_grave_and_weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep.
....
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

[alphafemale]

38. My rotted hands are about to grab your ankles

[Rochester]

39. "Remember, friend, as you pass by...

...as you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so shall you be.
Prepare for death, and follow me."

[TheMightyFavog]

41. Cheese and pepperoni!

[EastTennesseeDem]

43. "Dammit. Did I leave the stove on?"

[nolabear]

44. "Vacancy"

Actually I want to be cremated and thrown in the Mighty Mississip at the foot of Queen Ann like all good N'awlenians do. Well, those who don't have space in St. Louis Number 1.

[csziggy]

46. My instructions are to plant a tree if anyone wants a memorial

But I have no children, if my nieces and nephews care about me when I'm gone it will be because they might inherit something (probably needlework since I am generating large numbers of pieces). I'll probably outlive my husband - I come from genetically long lived stock while his ancestors tended to die younger, especially the men.

So no one will really care about a memorial.

[Stardust]

47. Delete *.*

[AllenVanAllen]

49. One of us is dead.

Last edited Wed Sep 19, 2012, 11:58 PM - Edit history (1)

So smile because you can.

[KansDem]

50. "Pardon me for not getting up"

An old classic, but seriously I want to be cremated and tossed into the Pacific Ocean. Nothing else.

[d_r]

51. my luck

"here lies the last guy to die before we discovered the secret to immortality"

[deutsey]

52. "I Can't Breathe"

[HarveyDarkey]

53. Not a tombstone

Just a parking meter saying "Time Expired", but since I'm an organ donor there will just be cremains.

[orleans]

54. there really is a grave with a parking meter

it was for a woman and the headstone made a reference to her sense of humor--and there was a large parking meter beside the headstone.

[Rambis]

55. Your all dickheads

[ismnotwasm]

56. Look Behind You

Naw, actually I'm donating my body to a medical school. I won't be needing it then.

[Mad_Dem_X]

86. That's a good one!

[Recovered Repug]

57. Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here.

[geardaddy]

59. "Ohhh, now I get it....The Aristocrats. Haha!"

[OxQQme]

61. Ha Ha Haa

Or the stick figure person, arms up, palms up, going WTF?

I went looking for 'wtf avatar'. Came up with this site: http://www.free-avatars.com/

They didn't have described stick person.

Anybody have it and want to share by posting?

Many of the responses were absolutely right on.
Perfect amount of humor.

"I give up this body."
"On to the next adventure."

A blown up taro card depiction of "The Fool"

Actually, "GET OFF MY LAWN" is numero uno.


Cremation is my choice.
But if there's a memorial service it could be the backdrop on a jumbo screen. lol

[pokerfan]

62. Another Bad Beat (nt)

[cliffordu]

64. Xtra cheeze with pepperoni....

Sorry.....

[NJCher]

65. I always have something going, so...

From the Emily Dickinson poem:

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;


Cher

[Wait Wut]

66. I'm going to rant a bit...

I'm from Chicago. A place that I love dearly, my first true love, that I never should have left. I now live in Arizona and will more than likely die here. I have told all my friends and loved ones that if they leave me in AZ I promise to come back and terrorize them for eternity.

Here's the kicker. I don't like fire. I hate the idea of being on fire. It scares the living bejeebus out of me. Before I moved to AZ, I had planned on being chopped up and tossed to the wolves. Why does being chopped up and turned into dog food not disturb me but being burned post-death not? How the hell should I know? I'm no therapist.

Anyway...due to current unfixable circumstances, I have agreed to be cremated. It makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it, but I just cannot stay in this state after death (atheists...just hush. my story...).

So...I will be cremated, my request to be scattered in one of three places (in this order) 1. Chicago River 2. Lake Michigan 3. Mississippi River (whichever will not get my scatterer arrested). After my scattering, I want a plaque posted at the Courthouse Square in Prescott, AZ, "Fuck off, Arizona. I'm finally free from you."

[lexx21]

67. "Oh SHIT! I'm dead!"

[HelenaHandbasket]

84. lexx 21's is great!

hehe!

[Joey Liberal]

68. I know, it's Only Rock n Roll

But I like it, I like it, yes I do.

[Arugula Latte]

69. "She's Not There"

'cuz she donated her bod to Science!

[TrogL]

70. This actually became an issue

My first wife died many years ago in a car accident. When it came time to do the tombstone, I had purchased a double plot, so I wanted just both our names, and room left for my dates. I was under heavy duty pressure for a poem. I finally relented and said I would allow a poem as long it was the ending to my favourite poem to which they agreed. I then announced it was...

This is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world ends.
Not with a bang but a whimper.

They shut up about it.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

73. Rodney has the best epitaph!!!

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=9556754&PIpi=1932468

[krispos42]

74. If you lived here, you'd be home already

[Duer 157099]

75. "This is what happens when you violate the TOS" n/t

[HelenaHandbasket]

76. Game Over

[eShirl]

77. WELCOME

[pinboy3niner]

78. "I spent 10 minutes of my life thinking one up for orleans...

Now, when I really need one, I hope I'll have enough time to wriii...*GAAAAACK* "

[orleans]

89. that would be very nice of you

to mention me on your epitaph (lol)
i appreciate the thought but it's really not necessary

[sarge43]

79. What I'd like "Well, that was interesting. What's next?"

What I'll get is the standard military marker.

[orleans]

88. looking on findagrave

i've seen a few military markers with something nice or cute written at the bottom--like this one:
"think of me & smile"
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=higgins&GSfn=thomas&GSmn=j&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=2000&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=7368614&df=all&

and i really did smile when i saw that one

so sarge--don't think you're limited as to what you can put on that marker

[sarge43]

96. Thanks. I appreciate that.

If things don't change, my husband and I will be planted at Arlington. The markers are standardized, no creative writing allowed.

[mythology]

80. To steal from one of my favorite characters

When asked if he wanted a tombstone that said "'He Lived For Centuries' or do you want one that says, 'For Centuries He Was Alive'? "

He responded with "You're not listening to me. I don't want a tombstone"

But if I had to pick something, I'd probably go with "But I'm not dead yet" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Perhaps with a motion sensor that would play that when ever anybody mistakenly wandered up to my grave.

[jumptheshadow]

81. Have the Bills won the Superbowl yet? (nt)

[pinboy3niner]

82. How about "Forward my bills to my jerk brother-in-law, 112 Elm Street..."

[DebJ]

83. Words from Bruce Springsteen We Are Alive

We are alive
And though our bodies lie alone here in the dark
Our souls and spirits rise
To carry the fire and light the spark
To fight shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart
To stand shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart
We are alive

referring to Kennedys, King, those who marched for workers' rights and others' rights

[Mad_Dem_X]

85. "Is That It?"

[Rob H.]

87. "Zombifying, BRB"

[MrMickeysMom]

90. Paula Schultz...

[petronius]

91. "Not for human consumption"

Actually, I want to be dropped straight into the Pacific - no cremation, coffin, or anything like that - just a shroud and some weights.

But if I really had my druthers, I'd be decked out in my scuba gear and plopped in at one of my favorite dive spots to surprise all the newby divers...

[Incitatus]

92. See you soon. nt

[Efilroft Sul]

97. Can't believe this thread went so long without a Walt Starr reference.

[retread]

98. Who farted?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

101. I want my Tombstone to be a Park Bench

where people can sit and have some quiet time with their loved ones. Maybe, it would say something like this:

For June who loved her garden
From Joseph who sat beside her.

[classof56]

104. That's quite beautiful.

Brought a lump to my throat. I was once in charge of a program that placed memorial park benches on trails overlooking the Pacific ocean. Always gave me a good feeling that people wanted to honor their loved ones with such meaningful words others could enjoy for years to come.

Blessings.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

105. ~

[Mad_Dem_X]

106. That's lovely.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

107. thanks

[av8rdave]

103. It's been real...

[Generic Brad]

108. Peperoni

I have an "off" sense of humor.