Have you ever hurriedly approached the drive-through lane at a fast food shop only to find a long line of cars in a funeral procession ahead of you? What a whopper of frustration this brand of an unconventional bottleneck could cause!
Such a scenario that would
seem unlikely actually occurred at a Burger King in York, Pennsylvania
recently. Before heading to a
cemetery the hearse and cars following it pulled up to the window where each
mourner was given a sandwich. It
wasn’t because everyone was famished.
The detour that broke from tradition was a personalized gesture that
alluded to the decedent’s longtime habit of patronizing fast food
establishments. To accentuate the point, a burger was placed atop the individual’s
flag-draped coffin. This unusual digression from
the norm added flavor to the usual proceedings, bestowing upon guests
memorable substance while alerting the media to a novelty deemed worthy of
sharing with the world.
Arrangements had been made
with the restaurant crew so the sandwiches would be ready to be doled out. The elderly man for whom this tribute
was orchestrated had been a regular customer; the manager was familiar with his repetitive order. Rather than having
been contrived as a whimsical maneuver, the initiative was conceived as a way
to honor the man and recognize an element of life that had been a pleasurable part of his lifestyle.
During the same time period
a commemoration took place in the New York village of Owego where a beloved
firefighter was celebrated by a large gathering of people. Many stories were shared, including one
by a friend who related a favorite pastime of throwing toilet paper during
younger days. His commentary drew
applause from the crowd, as people recognized the significance of the white
toilet paper they had encountered earlier in the day on their way to the
services. It had been strewn in
trees lining a street they had used to reach the memorial site. Why? Not for fun, but symbolically to spur recognition of a
personal distinction that helped define the individual whose life had ended.
You may be surprised by
funerary trends toward notions that bespeak individuality. Instead of old stereotypes,
watch for new prototypes in the realm of memorial remembrances.
