Is it too early to be worried about my legacy? I watched tonight’s tribute to Don Hewitt, and cannot believe all that people are able to say about a man who spent a few dozen years living and raging on this earth. High drama, they report, but the bottom line still stands: he created 60 Minutes and with tenacious splendor worked the broadcast like raw dough to ridiculous success. It’s the show we all watched in our early years in the hour before Angela Lansbury super-sleuthed her way through yet another benign mystery. It’s what we now watch while drinking pinot gris and dreading the work week lurking on Monday morning. He did something. He did something notable, memorable, substantial. Even as a self-described pain in the ass.
Ever wonder if you’re going to do something? I do. If I died today, I wonder what people would say about me on an hour-long episode devoted to my short life.
She was a great friend when she finally returned my emails.
Kris loved animals and was proud of her two strays. Did she mention once or a thousand times that one of them was a tripod? Yep. She even asked the vet if she could keep the leg, never sure whether she’d make earrings or a table leg from it. The other cat had asthma. Not nearly as cool.
She never stocked her fridge beyond Diet Coke, which was kind of a hoot. Amazing that she kept the figure she did.
She loved people fiercely and wanted to make out with every detail of life. In her eyes, connections were never so deep nor poppies so red.
She was an undiagnosed narcoleptic, never quite learned the basics of the blues, left her church after a teenage falling out with her pastor. She worshiped blue cheese dressing and the feel of airplane tires kissing foreign ground. She wanted to be a pastry chef and a sex goddess in other lives. She beat the chess.com computer once. And took a screen shot.
Kris also wanted to write something of substance, something bound, something carried in purses and read on trains. She had this blog? You probably haven’t heard of it. Check out the archives sometime. I’m sure she’d have loved that.
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I assure there will be a lot more than that. A lot more. With many, many tears.
You make me smile every day, lady. Every. Day. Sometimes more than once.
This post reminded me of the anxiety I felt leading up to my 30th birthday. Once I decided life didn’t need to be figured out by a certain age, represented by the looming birthdate, I started getting excited about my 30’s.
Kris left an indelible mark in my mind as someone whom I would easily get horrifically drunk with and tell all my darkest secrets, even though only her words I have known across the void.
“never quite learned the basics of the blues”
This is not even remotely acceptable. You still have time. Start here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpuaCoK_rl4
If I managed to survive the conflagration that would be your passing from this world, I would shove to the head of the line when 60 Minutes (or Dateline, or E! Hollywood True Stories) came investigating. I’d print out your archives and stitch a narrow-lapel suit from the pages and eulogize weepily until the narrow archive tie was soaked in tears and pulped to papier-mache.
As ever, I can’t wait to read more. I’ll buy the hardback, too.
Sounds like you’ve made a great start. I hope to wave as you go by on that road.
I’ve been working my way through Sarah’s archives (saves time! None of that “getting to know you” shit. Why do you think I have a blog sonny? ;)) I can surely start trolling yours too, it would be a joy in fact, although I’ve read a lot more of your stuff considering I’ve been blog following you for three years now. Weird.
Your legacy is one of awesome. And maybe you can throw in making a select few people Twitter-famous but that’s kind of a tall order.
First off, everyone will be given a snack bag of Doritos along with a can of Diet Coke. Then we’ll sit around with your seven legs of fluff and laugh our asses off telling Likey stories and yap about how the world was a better place because you were in it.
Okay, can we please get back to more uplifting topics?!?!? Like my visit!!!!
Your blog is quickly becoming a favorite.
That was fabulous ! You have inspired me to write my own “what if I died tomorrow” obit. I hope it will be HALF as entertaining as yours !! You kick ass.
I’m dying over here, with laughter, and empathy. I’m so glad to know that someone else has those comparative thoughts upon hearing a person’s obituary. Reading bios are a bitch too. But it all comes down to having a great writer lined up. Then you’ve got it made.
I think you forgot an endearing love of cheese plates and the uncanny ability to identify asshats of every description. ;-) (PS: I’m w/Paige. Let’s talk about her visit instead!)
I would say “she had a real cool banner”.