Yahtzee and one's legacy

As my thousands--nay, tens of thousands--of loyal readers may know, one of the first things I read each day in the Star Tribune is the obituary column. Yes, I start the day by finding out who has died. Why, you ask? For two main reasons. First, there is a chance that someone I know has died, and from time to time, that truly is the case, and so I need to know. The second reason is a bit more odd, perhaps, and vaguely "philosophical." But it comes down to this: reading the obituaries is my way of celebrating that I am alive for at least another day. It's a recognition that life is transitory, that shit happens, that my shit is waiting as well, but that for now, I need to appreciate that I am still among the living. Any psychologist ought to have a field day with that!

While reading the obits, I also sometimes glance at or pay some attention to the details of some stranger's life. The other day I was reading the notice for a woman named "Patty"--a very nice woman, I'm sure, and her photo revealed a winning smile. But in terms of her existence, the best they could seem to come up with--besides the fact that she "cared for her family, her animals, and the garden"--was that "she enjoyed playing Yahtzee and Scrabble, gardening, decorating, and attending garage sales."

Now, I should tread carefully. One can live a very full and happy life without doing anything "amazing." And one's family, animals, and garden can be a meaningful focal point for a very deep and satisfying existence. Still, I for one would hope that my legacy does not come down to Yahtzee, Scrabble, and garage sales. There's gotta be more to life than that. Although I have many mundane activities that comprise the daily rituals of my life, if anyone is writing a notice for me, please leave out some of the silliest ones! For whatever reason, I don't want to be remembered as "the meanest Scrabble player in town." But then, I can vibrate my uvula, I once memorized the Gettysburg Address, and I enjoy doing the Cryptoquip in the paper each day! Lacking a Nobel Peace Prize, I guess I'll have to live with a smaller legacy. It's just too bad that I'm not an avid Bingo player.