Having fun with death and dying - Kathy Jefcoats

Death and dying, funeral homes and cemeteries have always fascinated me although I am not sure why. When I lived in St. Louis, my family was friends with another family whose father was a caretaker of a cemetery. The family lived in a white house at the end of a long driveway behind the cemetery. At night, while our folks played cards and ate chocolate cake with white icing and drank black coffee, we kids played among the tombstones and swore we saw lights dancing among the graves. I don't ever remember being really scared, just fascinated. What would happen if a bony hand really did bust through the dirt and grass and grab my ankle while I passed by? I guess that explains my attraction to Stephen King.

Anyway, while I don't think I would like working in a funeral home, I would like to just hang around for a bit and observe. I think that is why I love the show, "Family Plots" on A&E. Set in a California funeral home, the show follows the staff and owner as they collect bodies, dress them out for services and meet with survivors. I have to admit I was horrified at first. I mean, as Americans we really take death seriously and I didn't think a show like that would be well-received.