Square

So, even though I say I never do anything I actually do. One of the things I do is volunteer.

It's not a big deal or anything. I don't talk about it a whole lot except to occasionally say things like, "I believe it's everyone's responsibility to do their part to make their community better by volunteering." I actually do really believe this, it's not just extraordinarily sappy words. Even if you aren't in love with where you live, you should do something to make it a better place. I don't care what that something is. Just something, even a small something.

One of the things I do is read the newspaper on the radio. It's intended for blind or print-challenged people and the whole experience is exactly what it sounds like it would be. I read the newspaper and it's broadcast.

You don't read the whole paper. I don't read things like the funnies or the ads or most anything that's not directly related to this part of NC. I was instructed early on that I was to always, always read certain things and one of those things is the obituaries. Every time and every single word. Even if there are a whole page full. You read all of them.

Sometimes they are really hard to read.

On Friday I had an especially difficult time. Part of it was because there were a bunch of young people obituaries and those are always a complete bummer, but the old people obituaries made me extra sad too.

I've lamented about obituaries before, how it's so hard to capture an entire life in a very small square of space. How you can't reduce a person to just that space and you can't make a life into just a few printed words.

But when you say things like, "There was nothing he loved more than spending time with his grandchildren" or "He spent his spare time volunteering for the homeless"? I know enough.






I don't think I do enough.



When I'm reduced to that little square, I don't think there is enough to say. I spend so much time on things that, in the grand scheme of things, seem so very unimportant.