the main character should write the last chapter

Have you seen Stephen Kings' book, "On Writing"?  It's been awhile since I read it,  but the thing that stuck with me was his notion that each of us is the main character in our own story.  I think about that a lot.  Everyone's life is a book.  Each person the hero of their book. 

I was reminded of this last week when I met a woman at work who wanted to get the heck out of the hospital.  She told me me she needed to get home so she could take care of her plants and work on writing her obituary.  It's not often you meet someone who has thought about their death enough to know they might want to do that.   In a real way.  She told me she wanted to say goodbye to some people and thank them for what they had meant to her.  And I thought of Stephen King because of course the main character of the book should be the one who writes the last chapter don't you think? 

I read a great obituary about 10 years ago.  In it the woman reported that she had been the "May Queen" of her home town back in 1956.  It's these little details that people want to tell that someone else might overlook in the writing of accomplishments.   I'll be looking for your obituary Jerline.  I want to read the things you thought were consequential about your life. 

Comments

[eb]

love
this image
and
your thoughts
provoke...

xox - eb.

[Jenny]

This is just beautiful. Jerline is lucky to have someone so thoughtful taking care of her.

[Mary]

Ric wrote his obituary a couple years ago and recommends that everyone do it. He likes the feeling of being in control of what is remembered about him (though he realizes that we could change it!)

[Joan]

I can honestly say that I've never considered writing the last word in my book. It simply didn't occur to me. I didn't read Stephen King's book either since I'm not a fan...his first book was enough for me.

[Chelsy]

I'll be thinking about this for a while. Thanks for sharing.

[j.long]

Thanks again Carol, for another day's vision. Thank you for your blog, I am so glad you decided to blog. And, no pressure, but I look forward to each day of it.

jacki long

[Judy H.]

Love this thought. King's ON WRITING has been on my to-read list for a while. I think I'll bump him up to the head of the list.

[Krissy]

I guess writing your own obituary is like planning your own funeral? I've discussed my funeral plans with my longtime friend Lyndsay but I guess I better get writing too. We decided this isn't morbid, but necessary. It's kind of like leaving a will.

[Leslie Gardiner]

I really enjoyed this post. Very important thoughts. Leslie