Eight by Eight
This American Life, http://www.thislife.org/, is a show on National Public Radio, heard here in Atlanta on Sunday at 6:00 p..m.
I just listened to a piece about people that die alone. The main piece was about a woman in Los Angeles that died. Some, not too close, relatives were found.
But at the end there was a small story about the thousand or so people who die each year in Los Angeles County with no assets and no family. They are cremated. Their remains are kept for four years. On December 6 of this year, those that died in 2003 were taken from their boxes and put into an eight by eight foot grave next door to those that had died in 2002, next to those that died in 2001,….
In a way, maybe it’s good that their remains are commingled; but, couldn’t Los Angeles County spring for enough room a year to give each of them the space for their own small urn?
9 comments:
If it were up to me, I'd like to see the ashes scattered in a nice park; let their earthly remains become trees and grass and flowers.
When i am gone, 8x8 will be much more than enough for me. I don't need my own urn. Don't confuse respect for the remains with respect for the life.
Exactly Pos, and dumping the remains in to a mass grave demonstrates lack of respect for the lives. Thomas may have the right idea.
Sorry to be so cheery on such a depressing blog, but: Merry Christmas Dave!
I wish you great happiness and cheer, lots of great gifts and great new memories.
Unless your a hermit it is always nice to be with others. My husband and I will be cremated and our ashes mixed and buried in the same grave. We are not cheap, we just don't want to be alone and take up more space than necessary.
Merry Christmas Dave and Happy New Year to you and all your readers
I'm going to write an upbeat post, I promise.
This American Life is a show that I love and do not listen to often enough. I'll have to look this one up online.
Merry Christmas, Dave. Wishing you a happy time and all the best.
Merry Christmas, Dave. Best wishes for 2008. Glad I wasn't the only one posting on death-related issues this season. :)
I wouldn't be surprised if most major cities do the same thing. Budgets are tight, you know...
Merry Christmas, Dave.
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