Morbid curiosity?

For some strange reason whenever I pick up a newspaper (rare these days) or read the news, the first thing I turn to is the obituaries. I have done this since I was ten years old and had my first paper route. I'd crawl up to the paper delivery site ( a friend's house at the top of a VERY steep hill) at 5 am, open up the bundle and count out my papers, fold them in that special paperboy way and then sit and read...The obits.

I cannot even tell you where it comes from. I just want to know about people. I want to read about the wives, their offspring, how many grandchildren they doted on before they passed. Usually if you I that the request memorial contributions to the heart association or cancer society or hospice, I can pretty much guess how they died. I have a lump in my throat whenever I read them, especially if a young person or child pass. It must be a terrible heartache to have to live through the death of your child.

No matter where we go in the country to visit relatives I pick up that paper and read the obits. This is going to sound really macabre, but the best obits are in Salt Lake City. That's right, the Mormon Mecca (LDS, as they prefer). Those people know how to live. And die. Their obits are interesting! Their entire life story is printed. The obits have their own special section, not just tucked in behind the classifieds. It is almost like reading a mini autobiography or a short story.

I know it is a weird obsession. I am not proud of it. But through the blogger twelve step program I am learning to admit my downfalls and work through them. This blog stuff is extremely therapeutic.