Podcast- Journal 14

Death, it isn’t anything anyone looks forward too in there lives. Many fear death, and think about how or when they might die. Many have questions of death and what happens when a loved one passes away. What was interesting to me was the talk of cremation is thought of leading the body to this place where this body,and in reality it is just a large industrial machine and its normally just the body and the mortician. She also talks about how you sometimes get ashes of the body on you I was very interested when she was asked the question of how did this affect you emotionally and she said how you really just get used to it because it’s your work. If you thought of each body as an emotional attachment you wouldn’t be able to do your job to the fullest. the temperature of the oven is normally over 1500 F and sometimes 1800 degrees.  Changes that she thought should happen;level of involvement, that shocks me that it isn’t as much involvement. The worker was all alone, the family wasn’t there for it and she believes that there should be more “witness cremation” the family gets to push the button to put the body in the flames. I really didn’t know that was a thing that could’ve happened during the process. Burial, this is another option when a death is brought up. Doughty thinks there should be less chemicals involved unless needed, she thinks there should just be a process of to just put the body into the ground and taking care of the body in your home prior too and not needing a mortician. This is seen as a frightening this to be asked to do but I can see it as being incredible and being accepting to this death that has happened, I feel like it could be a step of closure for the family. I like her part of seeing the body change and see the life being taken away and addressing those feelings. Seeing the dead body as well kind of clears up the air that one day we are going to die we aren’t going to be around forever, and one day this life is going to end. This interview brings up a big thought of mine, some people don’t want to see the body after and they think that will be good for them because they don’t want the last goodbye to be this. I think some people are just scared, but if you spend time with the body there are less people who have the feeling of “I wish I hadn’t spent time with the body.” Dressing the body in clothes, sometimes it is meaningful based on the person on their prime, and sometimes that’s problematic because they have to dress the body. It gives the family involvement in not only picking out the clothes but also dressing the body. There are also thoughts on open casket or closed casket, it really depends on the viewer. It made me very intrigued when Doughty mentioned she has to have a therapist and she does yoga, and writes in a  journal to take care of herself, and how she’s not only dealing with the body but she is also dealing with the family that is upset and thankful for you but also mad at the death that has happened and how they need to be mad at someone for the death.