"Looking forward to meeting you again in heaven, God willing."

I find it unnerving and sad to see ads people place on obituary pages saying, "Dear Julianna. It's been fifteen years since you passed away and we all still miss you dreadfully. Looking forward to meeting you again in heaven, God willing."

The ad must give some comfort to the person placing the ad, but Julianna doesn't read the paper and all the advertiser is really doing is posing with their broken heart, letting thousands of strangers know they miss Julianna -- how much? so much! enough to pay for an ad!

Leave a more lasting and practical monument to the dearly departed. Give the money that would've been spent on an ad to a library or a battered women's shelter "in honor of."

Skipping off on a tangent, the city of Salinas is in foul financial shape and failed to pass some tax measures earlier this month. Their main library and two branches cost $3m/yr to run, so as of January, the city is shutting down the libraries.

WWSS?

(trans: What would Steinbeck say?)