2008 Woodie Awards
Blood, Sweat, Tears, Life
Toria Savey
Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Opinion
A lot of people say that I don't take things seriously enough. They say that I laugh at things that shouldn't cause laughter.
They're right, and today was no exception.
They found my uncle dead. But death cannot conquer the humor of my family. Why cry? It's natural to mourn, I know, but…he's not rotting in the ground. In my belief system, which you may or may not agree with, he's gone upstairs, where there's no cold or hunger and the party never ends. It's not the end. It's just a change of address.
This got me thinking about a lot of things. Perhaps you think about them too. You think, "My backpack is too damn heavy." Or maybe, "I wish the weather would make up its mind." Something along the lines of, "I hope that jerk behind me in traffic dies a long, slow death," or maybe, "If my mom calls and yells one more time, I'm going to tell her where to stick it."
Life's too short, people, too short. I complain in this column because it can be funny, because people can relate. We all have the same worries and trials sometimes. But if we all lived a little more like my uncle, we'd all be a hell of a lot happier, and we'd be having a party right here, right now. Here are the tips he had for me, when I was smart enough to listen.
1. Do something you love everyday. He loved books, and probably read one everyday. That may be a little extreme, but so what? He encouraged me in whatever I liked. So, put your homework down and throw your cell phone out the window. Go do something that makes you happy.
2. Don't worry about a hair in your food. Hair is protein. I always took this to be a little deeper though. People die alone and starving every day. So, there's a single hair in your food. Who gives a crap? Refocus your priorities, before you end up a spoiled brat.
3. Love your neighbor. You know what? That doesn't mean your neighbor is going to be your best friend. You might not like his loud parties, big-haired wife, or vicious Chihuahua. But if you can do anything to help him, don't turn your back. And it really does come around. Always.
4. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do next week. My uncle procrastinated until the very end, and I hope that in some ways, I do too. If your options are to stay here and be a responsible citizen or run off the Bahamas for who knows how long, I hope you chose wisely.
Never be ashamed to be the one crying at a funeral. But never be ashamed to not be crying at a funeral. I won't be crying. I'll be wearing my dancing shoes, because that's what he would have wanted.
They're right, and today was no exception.
They found my uncle dead. But death cannot conquer the humor of my family. Why cry? It's natural to mourn, I know, but…he's not rotting in the ground. In my belief system, which you may or may not agree with, he's gone upstairs, where there's no cold or hunger and the party never ends. It's not the end. It's just a change of address.
This got me thinking about a lot of things. Perhaps you think about them too. You think, "My backpack is too damn heavy." Or maybe, "I wish the weather would make up its mind." Something along the lines of, "I hope that jerk behind me in traffic dies a long, slow death," or maybe, "If my mom calls and yells one more time, I'm going to tell her where to stick it."
Life's too short, people, too short. I complain in this column because it can be funny, because people can relate. We all have the same worries and trials sometimes. But if we all lived a little more like my uncle, we'd all be a hell of a lot happier, and we'd be having a party right here, right now. Here are the tips he had for me, when I was smart enough to listen.
1. Do something you love everyday. He loved books, and probably read one everyday. That may be a little extreme, but so what? He encouraged me in whatever I liked. So, put your homework down and throw your cell phone out the window. Go do something that makes you happy.
2. Don't worry about a hair in your food. Hair is protein. I always took this to be a little deeper though. People die alone and starving every day. So, there's a single hair in your food. Who gives a crap? Refocus your priorities, before you end up a spoiled brat.
3. Love your neighbor. You know what? That doesn't mean your neighbor is going to be your best friend. You might not like his loud parties, big-haired wife, or vicious Chihuahua. But if you can do anything to help him, don't turn your back. And it really does come around. Always.
4. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do next week. My uncle procrastinated until the very end, and I hope that in some ways, I do too. If your options are to stay here and be a responsible citizen or run off the Bahamas for who knows how long, I hope you chose wisely.
Never be ashamed to be the one crying at a funeral. But never be ashamed to not be crying at a funeral. I won't be crying. I'll be wearing my dancing shoes, because that's what he would have wanted.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
JT$
posted 3/10/08 @ 11:02 PM PST
Toria! That was my favorite column of yours. You did an excellent job. It reminds me of the movie "Elizabethtown." I had a horrible weekend and needed a pick me up. (Continued…)
Bill
posted 3/11/08 @ 5:30 PM PST
Awesome, I know several people I want to share this with!
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