No, it's not what you're thinking. They didn't physically die. The person they used to be died. Sort of like how the third-grader you died at the end of that school year. My friends have died. (Where death is defined as: a profound change in condition that is irreversible)
Yes I had 8 (or more?) friends of many years all get married this year. Surprisingly it wasn't very surreal, and quickly became old hat.
But what was interesting -to me - was that it confirmed an observation I had previously realized.
Death and Marriage are rather similar:
Both involve a ceremony in their honor
Both bring family and friends from all over
Tears are often shed at both
Both give closure to something (Mortality or Single-Life)
And both are a rite of passage (in a way.) Progress
(I'm sure the list goes on.)
Now look at this: Dead people, if they can interact, may only with other dead people (presumably). And living people may only interact with other living people.
It's the same kind of thing. Married people tend to do couple-oriented activities with other couples, and then later families with families. While single people tend to hang out with other single people, each waiting to "die" eventually. Some craving marriage-death, like masochistic, suicidal maniacs. And others content to live-and-let-live for as long as they happen to be single, or living.
And I've found that married people are very interested in their friends getting married, my own friends are always asking me about girls I date - etc. So perhaps the dead look forward to your death so they can, hopefully, see you again.
This isn't a hard rule, to be sure. (I still hang out with my married friends whenever I can) but generally speaking, single people spend time with single people, and married people spend time with married people - and each to their own.
Here is the casualty list for 2008 (not including their spouses, many of whom I would also consider friends now that I know them).
Karen - known for 9 years - KIA 04/08
Matt B. - known for almost 22 years - KIA 4/08
Zach - known for 11 years - KIA 5/08
Mary Eliza - known ... forever? - KIA 5/08
Brandon - known for 10 years - KIA 07/08
Rachel - known for 20 years - KIA 09/08
Kevin A. - known for around 7 years - KIA 10/08
Stewart - (did you die this year or was it last year?)
Yes I had 8 (or more?) friends of many years all get married this year. Surprisingly it wasn't very surreal, and quickly became old hat.
But what was interesting -to me - was that it confirmed an observation I had previously realized.
Death and Marriage are rather similar:
Both involve a ceremony in their honor
Both bring family and friends from all over
Tears are often shed at both
Both give closure to something (Mortality or Single-Life)
And both are a rite of passage (in a way.) Progress
(I'm sure the list goes on.)
Now look at this: Dead people, if they can interact, may only with other dead people (presumably). And living people may only interact with other living people.
It's the same kind of thing. Married people tend to do couple-oriented activities with other couples, and then later families with families. While single people tend to hang out with other single people, each waiting to "die" eventually. Some craving marriage-death, like masochistic, suicidal maniacs. And others content to live-and-let-live for as long as they happen to be single, or living.
And I've found that married people are very interested in their friends getting married, my own friends are always asking me about girls I date - etc. So perhaps the dead look forward to your death so they can, hopefully, see you again.
This isn't a hard rule, to be sure. (I still hang out with my married friends whenever I can) but generally speaking, single people spend time with single people, and married people spend time with married people - and each to their own.
Here is the casualty list for 2008 (not including their spouses, many of whom I would also consider friends now that I know them).
Karen - known for 9 years - KIA 04/08
Matt B. - known for almost 22 years - KIA 4/08
Zach - known for 11 years - KIA 5/08
Mary Eliza - known ... forever? - KIA 5/08
Brandon - known for 10 years - KIA 07/08
Rachel - known for 20 years - KIA 09/08
Kevin A. - known for around 7 years - KIA 10/08
Stewart - (did you die this year or was it last year?)
