Life As An Obit

Farah Fawcett died recently, but you would hardly know it. As the first memorable figure (as it were) on the television road to the T & A programming which has become a staple, she was certainly an iconic figure. She just had the bad luck to die at roughly the same time as Michael Jackson in addition to a governor growing AWOL and getting caught, uncovering a veritable iceberg of sleaze.
So, poor Farrah really didn't get the ink in death that she should have gotten; no great clamoring over legal hassles or child protection; no father trying to cash in once again on her fame, and no public moral outrage over scurrilous behavior. It seems she fought cancer bravely and died unobtrusively...which, got me to thinking about what gets said after one dies. Who writes the obit? Usually, it's family members, but how much would my kids know about me, really? Presuming my sweetie has not preceded me, she would have some necessary info but might not be up to the task. Maybe I should write my own ahead of time!
After all, who knows my life story better than I? Who could provide details that even my family might not know except for me? After all, there was more to my early life than drinking out of water puddles on the way home from school or running into several cars while pedalling my bike. This might be an idea worth researching.
Trevor Jensen, an obituary writer for the Chicago Tribune says that the effective obit is NOT a laundry list of jobs held, places lived and a statement of love for the family (EVERYONE loves the family). He writes that an effective closing statement should be thought of in the simple terms of telling a story, not just listing facts. Of course, there is the requisite information: birthdate, hometown, parents, siiblings, education, marriage, kids and the like. But Jensen also stresses that necessary information might also include aspirations, friends, hardships, challenges, missteps, obstacles overcome, heartache, triumph and surprises. In other words, the "me" that few people really know about, mostly because I chose not to share it or they were simply too young to care at the time.
Odd though it might be, I already have the musical playlist for the funeral service (in whatever form that may take). The recorded CD is in the hands of the eldest son who has been enjoined to play three specific songs but has been left to make what he considers appropriate selections from the remaining tracks. I simply will NOT have "Amazing Grace" played at my funeral...it's not me. It's a fine tune, but not me. Some of the songs have a religious overtone, and some are directed especially at loved ones and dear friends (Del Shannon's version of "Oh, How Happy You Have Made Me") and some echo words of advice (Buddy Holly's "Rave On," for instance) And no egg salad sandwiches at the meal, if there is one. I hate egg salad...devilled eggs are ok, but egg salad is strictly prohibited.
While there is no risk of my funeral proceedings causing much of a stir, I'd still like it to be done right.
I'll get right on that obit...and review that playlist.