Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Facebook brings 'em back from the dead

I'm not sure if there's any connection to Kitty's recent post about ghosts, but I had a strange experience yesterday.

There was a guy I knew in college. We weren't exactly close friends, because I thought he was a bit of a horse's ass -- which is saying something for broadcasting students!

I did, however, feel badly when I heard a few years after college that he had cancer. His brother played in the NHL and he himself was a Molson rep (so much for the two-year broadcasting diploma, eh?) and Hockey Night in Canada even did a feature on his battle with cancer. I could have sworn that I heard that he had died, but then yesterday, up he pops on my Facebook page, looking for me to be his friend. I accepted, but haven't sent him any messages yet.

How do you say "Geez, I thought you were dead"?

14 comments:

Sean Newbury said...

"How's life in Heaven? So what's God really like? What's new?"

or

"How's life in Hell? Did Satan mention he knew anything about me? What's new with you?"

or

"Huh? You're STILL alive?"

John Mielke Photography said...

And... how creepy is it poking someone you thought was dead?!?!?!

Maria said...

you don't say a damn thing about the whole dead thing. Thats just me... or you can go with the other options. I wouldn't, but you could.

Maria said...

By the way, poking a person who has passed on is very creepy WITH A CAPPITAL C-R-E-E-P-Y! Again, thats just me.

Maria said...

Which brings me back to a very sad thought.

In October, hubby's uncle passed on he was in his late 80's. Live a full life. My mother-in-law who all of a sudden has become a woman of the church. I love the lady... but her recent saintly ways are starting to get under my skin. The family asked her to say a prayer at the end of the wake (since she knows them all by heart) and she kept on for about 45 minutes all the while rubbing the dead fellows forehead. Again... thats just creepy... Maybe its me. Actually, no its creepy.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if Nonna is creepy, but that story about her sure is!

OMG! The word verification for this comment is vizycult!

Maria said...

hehe yup Nonna... how did you know grandma in italian is Nonna? You are just happening.

As for Nonna being creepy, she is starting to creep me out. Why is it that as people get older they seem to want to be closer to God by going to church everyday? somedays she goes several times a day. I told her that the priest can go on vacation and leave her in charge of Sunday mass.

Anonymous said...

Leave Nonna alone, she's just cramming for her finals.

Sean Newbury said...

I don't find toching a loved one that has passed on as creepy. I find it rather sweet and natural. Touching a dead person you DON'T know is creepy... of course that's part of the reason I loved my part time job at Dalhousie delivering cadavers to anatomy labs. :-)

Maria said...

Kitty, for some reason I didn't think you would find it creepy.
Your also the same dude who loves ghosts hanging around his pad.

More power to ya! I still find the ghosts and touching dead people (whether I know them or not) FREAKIN' CREEPY.

Anonymous said...

No joking here for this comment.
When my Mom died almost six years ago, my cousin's ex-wife -- who was really close to my Mom -- lied right across her in the coffin, sobbing almost uncontrollably. I thought poor Mom would end up on the floor.
I couldn't bring myself to touch my Mom in the coffin, even though I was her baby boy and we, too, were very close.
When the family was afforded one last good-bye before the funeral director closed the lid, I decided "it's now or never". So I gently tapped my Mom's hands, the way she used to affectionately tap mine, saying something like "How are you, Pet?".
Her hands were very cold and yes, it felt kind of creepy, but I'm glad I did it, so that I don't spend the rest of my life regretting not having my own, albeit brief, final goodbye during my final look at my beloved Mom.

Sean Newbury said...

I think it's very poignant to share such a moment with a loved one... even in death you can still connect on the physical once more, and there ever after with all the loving memories you contain.

JB said...

Insofar as your not-really-friend who, as it turns out, is not-really-dead, I'm picturing this scenario:
1/ "Is he dead?"

2/ "I don't know. I think so."

1/ "How can we be sure?"

2/ I don't know. I suppose we can't."

1/ I know! Poke him with a stick!"

...and as for the story about your Mom -
The burial of both of my parents happened when I was very young. I was 13 when my Mom died, and was too afraid to touch her, but I couldn't stop looking at her. It was very hard for me to watch her coffin being lowered into the ground.
I was 28 when my Dad died, and I touched his hand briefly, but it's not what I'll remember most. My father used to comb his hair a LOT. Always with the same little black drugstore comb, and never more than about ten passes, and then it was quickly back in his pocket. Slipping a comb into his pocket in the funeral home, just before we left for the cemetery, is something that felt right at the time, and now gives me a warm feeling whenever I think about it.

Maria said...

I am sorry to hear about your mom, a parent passing away is always so hard. I am sure it was very hard for you to do what you did thats why its so special and you still remember it. Good on you.