Final Curtain

The adventures of a funeral counselor. I've decided the funeral business is much like show business. I've always liked working behind the scenes, albeit being a power player as well. The mantra, "the show must go on" works for our business as for any broadway production. Why? Because it's The Last Curtain. We have to go above and beyond so that the last show isn't a drag.

So here's a backstage evening for you, in the midst of a Mercury in retrograde:

My boss and my co-funeral counselor leave early today. No big deal, it's been slow, I've been here over a month and I can access them both by cell phones if necesary. We have a new receptionist, so that should help too (it doesn't much). Around 330 I get a call from our crematory: we can't do a witnessed cremation tomorrow for X client, you have to reschedule.

Well, this client wasn't mine, it was my co-worker's, AND he wants it done ASAP. So I call Leon my coworker to see what I should do. Thus begins the running around to call the son to ask if he can witness it tonight at 10. He's easy-going, ok, 10 is fine. I fax paperwork to the crematory. Get a call back. We can't do it, it hasn't been 72 hours since the death. Shit, have to get a waiver signed but client is at home, doesn't have a fax machine. Shit. I'm calling my boss, I'm calling my co-worker, I'm calling the client....It's getting closer and closer to 5.

The client has a friend I can fax to, he'll sign within the hour. OK, I fax the stuff. Waiting, waiting. Good thing I didn't have any plans tonight. If I did have plans, I suppose I would have had to call the client to say, sorry, you have to wait until Monday. I do get paid over time, but really, I am not necessarily supposed to stay.

So by the goodness of my heart, I stay, so that this man can witness his mother's body being inserted into the retort; helping the final curtain drop a little more smoothly.

P.S. Just Got Word...my Great Aunt Mary died today at 430pm.