I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral, can't understand what i mean?

As I mentioned yesterday, we went to my cousin Gary's viewing. And as I mentioned, he was always a big joker, always smiling, telling stories and talking.

Well, today was the funeral/memorial service. And it could have been no one's other than Gary's.

There was some music, there were some eulogies. During the eulogies, people told stories of Gary, which made me smile cause they were so true. One of the speakers had us close our eyes and just think of Gary, perhaps the last time we talked to him, perhaps one memorable time he was talking to us. And then, the speaker asked if we were smiling, and damn if I wasn't. As were most people when he had us open our eyes.

A lot of the speakers mentioned Gary's love of ice cream, especially that made and sold at a local dairy, Antietam Dairy. They told tales of numerous trips down to the dairy for some ice cream. One speaker said that Gary told him a few years ago that on the day he died, he would want everyone to celebrate with a cup of Antietam Dairy ice cream. And DAMN, if that didn't happen!

Following the hearse to the cemetary was the Antietam Dairy Ice Cream truck, a big blue monstronsity shaped like a FedEx truck, but colored differently! It pulled right into the cemetary and near the burial site. And when the graveside service was over, we were told to go get a cup of ice cream from the truck. They were all on Gary. And we should all think of him while we ate it.

And we did go get it. On a cold windy day in January, with the temps in the 20's and a chilly breeze blowing against us, we lined up, in that cold, to get a cup of cold ice cream and eat it there. Shivering. And most of us were laughing, all of us were smiling, cause it was just like Gary to have something like this at his funeral.

During the service at the church, the pastor was quite long winded, speaking for damn near a half hour, but not about Gary. He was basically just giving a sermon, which frankly angered mom and me. there was no need for him to drone on so long. Well, roughly twenty or so minutes into, suddenly, the lights went out and all the power went off. There was no storm or anything, the whole church just went dark. For a few heartbeats, everything was quiet. And then his wife said, "Oh Gary, you couldn't help yourself could you?" And someone else said, "Gary couldn't go without one final joke." And the pastor said, "I guess Gary thinks I've talked long enough." And everyone laughed. Again, it was just like Gary to make the lights go out at his own memorial service. They were only out for a few minutes and then they came back on. I have no idea what caused it.

I gotta tell you, I laughed more than I cried (although I did do that. When his 12 year old grandson played Amazing Grace on the piano, and when graveside, the bugler played Taps).I have NEVER in all my life, smiled and laughed so much at a funeral.

And ya know, that too is EXACTLY how Gary would have wanted it.

POLT Listening to "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode

Competitors will defile themselves on the promenade at 11am, and each car will have two drivers who will relieve themselves at each other's convenience. - French racing brochure