If a Picture's Worth a Thousand Words...

By Al Horn

The local St. Louis paper lost one of its columnists this past year. Greg Freeman was a family man that held his own perspective of life and the world around him. I'm sure he will be missed by many. The paper took several months to name a replacement. The man who now writes in Greg's slot came with fine credentials. I read his first writings with a reserved outlook as to whether he would fill the shoes left him. The column that appeared last Tuesday showed that he was a man after my own heart.

To many people death is a morbid subject left for discussion until it's too late. Why? I'll miss my parents when they pass (providing I don't go first). Still, things like wills and final arrangements should be talked about before they kick the proverbial bucket. They have stated what their final wishes should be to most of their children. We will respect their request to the best of our abilities. If they should change their minds and opt for something different between now and then we will be sure to keep an open mind about the arrangements. That brings me back to our new columnist in town.

He had interviewed a local fellow who helped with plans for cremation. I followed the article carefully because that is what my wife and I have designated for us. We have told family and friends that we would like to have our ashes scattered in the bay at Puerto Vallarta. We own a timeshare there and fell in love with the place when we first visited some years ago. We told our kids to use part of the inheritance money to fly down and toast our burial at sea with a large Margarita in hand. Back to the article.

The fellow interviewed told of many other options for dispersing your ashes. The idea that caught my fancy was where some people are having their ashes mixed into paints and an artist creates a picture from a scene that you had previously expressed a desire for. That got my mind whirling. Think of all the possibilities!

As an avid golfer, a scenic hole from one of the most popular golf courses in the world. A small but recognizable likeness of myself could be inserted into the picture showing a ball about a foot from going into the cup. I would be shown in a pose that indicated I had just finished stroking a putt or a chip from just off the green. I would be positioned a little left or right of the hole and the balls line would be slightly off center from the hole.

My children and their children would always look at the picture and wonder if the shot would have finished in the hole. Those with fond memories would have no doubt one way or the other. My descendents with little or no memory would have to draw their own conclusions. The stories passed down about me will shape their opinions. Of course, that would be the reason for having such a picture made. To keep people talking about me; keep the memory alive. I think some of those middle age Barons and Dukes had the right idea by having those portraits made. They live on long after they are gone.