Here's the deal: I'm in the midst of researching (and soon, I hope, will be writing) a term paper. I think it's going to propose that the American practice of embalming is indicative/tied to a modern trend of ignoring the dying process. Since we can't ignore death, we do our best to ignore how we get there. The paper is still in the early stages of development (read: I need to do SO MUCH MORE research), so the specifics of my thesis may change, but mostly I wanted to figure out some way to talk about (cosmetic) embalming because it's super weird.
Occasionally I realize that my obsession with death must be rather creepy when viewed from an outside perspective. Maybe someday I'll attempt to articulate my views. In the meantime, you can hang out with Dickinson and Yeats.
In addition to this, I'm attempting to learn a bunch of muscles in the human body (not, thank god, all 800 of them) as well as points of origin and insertion (shut up right now, don't even go there). I will undoubtedly immediately forget all this knowledge the moment I leave the final (here's hoping that doesn't happen BEFORE the final), but for now it's imperative I learn that shit.
My point being, my mind has not really been composed enough to continue Personal Lessons. I'll work at it in chunks, but can't promise any sort of regular updates for the next several weeks.
Be Seeing You.
Edit: And yes, I'm using time I don't have to write this. I'm a bit like a slacker Dalek Procrastinate...PROCRASTINATE
Embalming is an important step in preserving the condition of the body for The Rapture. After all, you want to look your best for your savior.
ReplyDeleteI actually had a discussion about embalming with a high school teacher, who cited this at the rational her mother had used in planning her death. I believe she was Southern, I don't know which christian denomination she practiecd.
"...and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
-Kacie
Oh, I'm totally on board with embalming as preserving the body for the afterlife/the Rapture/preserving the soul/et cetera. That's got a long history of practice AND I can totally understand the logic. However, the way embalming is practiced in America today often only preserves the body long enough for an open casket...sometimes putrefaction isn't even held off that long, which is in part why they often add scents to the embalming fluid. Once you're done with CRAZYTIMESHOLYSHITEVERYONEEVERISHERE Weekend (known to some as Black Friday) we can get together and talk about it over a meal! And drink skull vodka!
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