A Celebration of Life.

I love Funerals. 

"What an Odd Statement!"  You may be saying.  But I tell you, what better time to celebrate someone's life and how they lived it.  Funerals should be happy times.  Period!  Save the sadness for later.   Or never!  Because everyone who has lived a full life...  should be celebrated and there should be smiles and laughter all around. 

Oh, sure.  There will be things we have not completed.   Things we never attempted.   And things that were total failures. But if you have lived any amount of time on this planet,  then you will inevitably have something that turned out good.  I really believe that. 

And so it was that I was invited to  a Celebration of Life for a lad who died a few weeks ago.   I think Dave might have done the funeral.  The man's name was John and he owned a bar  somewhere in the heart of Kenosha.  When I first arrived here in Wisconsin, Dave took me there and I met a handful of folk to get a feel for the land.  It was a good time.  

John was still around then, and offered Dave the keys to his Corvette.   Dave and I hopped in and enjoyed a ride in  a Rocket Sled for a brief time..  It was the first and only time I have ever  ridden in a legendary sports car. It was a good time. 

John was an entrepreneur. Who worked in I.T. and eventually started his own company.  Then sold that and bought a Bar as a retirement. ( I may have a few facts mixed up there, but you should get the idea.) From  what I hear, he was larger than life and took risks.  Simply being a successful entrepreneur is enough evidence for me.   I know I am missing that certain "thing" that separates the successful from the unsuccessful.  He sounds like one of those mythical Heroes.   But I know there probably were plenty of moments of failure and self doubt that was there along the way.   Success is rarely a flawless endeavor.  It takes a unique man to freely give the keys of his expensive car over to two novice "strangers."  ( Dave was  the driver, by the way.)

And so, I got to meet a few more folks and drink a beer with some friends.  I also met a few who remembered me from 6 months ago.   Dave said everyone in the bar was family.  And having grown up watching Cheers,  I can see how that label is fitting for everyone who was in attendance.  There was plenty of food and munches for everyone.  It is funny to think that people are sad at funerals.   I did not see a single glum face there.  Everyone was smiling and I'm sure they were swapping stories of the man and how they knew him.  Every life touches so many on our travels through our Time.   Shouldn't that be celebrated in the happiest way possible?  Thanks for stopping in.