Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Dead Man Standing

I'm on the block, posted up like a mailbox...(only Mr. BohemianBookworm will get that line...but if anyone else does, you're AWESOME!)

This is super old, but I can't not post it here. I may have mentioned this before, but I have a fascination with death and the way it is handled in societies. I will probably do my masters thesis on something in this field.
Anyhoo, this 24 year old (Angel Pantoja Medina) from Puerto Rico told his family that he wanted to be standing up during his wake so his family obeyed his wishes. Reading comments on him and his lifestyle, it appears he was involved in the street life and that is what killed him. So my first thought was how interesting it is that he planned for his death in that manner. Commenters have been saying well, he was a gang member so of course he knew he would die early, but I think it's not that simple. Lots of young people plan their post-humous celebrations, gatherings, selections, etc. Secondly, from a physical/medical standpoint I wonder how exactly they got a corpse in the condition that it could stand for 3 days. The pictures also show the phenomenon of memorial T-shirts that are popular in urban culture. If you are offended by wake/corpse/body pictures you may want to scroll past these.


4 jewels of thought:

InnyVinny said...

That whole this was BANANAS.

I think plenty of people know what they want to have happen at their funerals, but this was extreme.

ChocolateOrchid said...

Wow! People really plan their funeral in such detail?... I guess I consider this to be extreme, also. But then again this is just from my perspective. I just wanna be wrapped in a biodegradable shroud and buried in a beautiful field. I suppose the vision I have of my own funeral may be considered extreme to someone else. ...This is interesting...

Gem said...

InstantVintage: I know, the second picture looks so crazy! How unnerving.

ChocolateOrchid, I love that idea! Let our bodies return to the earth.

Anonymous said...

WOW, I'm disturbed and blown!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin