Sunday, June 25, 2006

Died Tragically While Rescuing His Family From the Deck of a Sinking Battleship


Sky frame
Originally uploaded by katzeye.
I often see little snippets of films. It's because I will haul some laundry in front of the TV, and just turn it on. I find things like sorting laundry to be tedious, so I like the distraction, and sometimes the little snippet is pretty interesting. Sometimes it's just a bunch of commercials for equipment guaranteed to, at last, get one totally in shape in just 15 minutes a day, and it folds down compactly to store under the bed, too!

Recently I was matching up socks and saw the end of "The Royal Tannenbaums." There is a visit to the grave and it is revealed what has been inscribed on the marker, "Died Tragically While Rescuing His Family From the Deck of a Sinking Battleship."

It is a comic moment that is also tinged with pathos. How many of us lead very ordinary, very safe lives? How many of us are Walter Mittys, imagining heroic acts?

And how many of us would just like to have the sense of humor to arrange to have such a thing engraved on our own headstone, knowing that no one would actually believe it and just chalk it up to one last attempt to break away from the mundane?

What say you?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is funny! Good point. You have inspired me. Mine will read, "Died in the service of Her Majesty." Given that I was born in bred in Glendale, California, that should be pretty entertaining or confusing to my projegeny. Actually, the queen to which I would be referring would be my wife.

R. Stowell

... said...

R.S. Are you saying that Her Majesty will send you to your death?

Anonymous said...

That's really funny. I am already starting to think about how I want to be remembering, in some act of great daring and courage!

Anonymous said...

That is so cool. I want my epitaph to read, "Died not caring anything about Suri Cruise!"

Barbie

... said...

jbl- LOL! because of your typo "remembering" instead of "remembered" it makes it sound like you are the one remembering or imagining, like a Walter Mitty!

Anyway, at times it seems that most die in indignified ways, hooked up to tubes and bedpans. Wouldn't it be better to go out in, as you say, "some act of great daring and courge"?

... said...

Barbie, I have to laugh because when I read your comment I thought, "What is a Suri Cruise?" I was thinking it was some kind of cruise ship!!

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about what you guys' wrote. I want my headstone to say SAILING THE PLANETS IN A NEW BOAT!
Karli M.

... said...

Karli, that's a very interesting one. Is this a positive thought that you are thinking? It sounds like it is.

Anonymous said...

That was such a great movie! I love films that make us think about how we live our lives!