(no subject)
The fog is beginning to clear a little as I withdraw from practice tests. My final one will be this friday or saturday and up till then and after I'll be reading and doing smaller assignments.
Had a phone interview today from a reporter from the Ann Arbor news about my job as a docent. Jose and I ran into her on our way to lunch two weeks ago and I was working in the fishbowl when she called. I did enjoy sharing what I loved about the job, but as with any journalistic venture, I worry that a misquote may get me in trouble.
I finished Stiff today amidst the jazz in Ambrosia as a mental breather and all I can say is "wow!" Not only did I learn a lot about dead bodies, but even more about my own perceptions and squemishness about death and decay. I'm thinking when I die I want my body composted with a willow tree growing over it. None of this high end, ridiculously high funeral crap. It's just not for me. If people want to say something nice about me when I'm dead, then hey, that'd be cool. But the idea of getting the whole decay process over and done with, and becoming part of nature does have a nicer ring to it. Cremation wastes natural gas, burial takes up land and wood and is way too drawn out. Everyone has their own interpretation of what they want, what they believe happens to their bodies, and that's fine for them. Will I donate my organs? I'm a little more tempted to now, but nothing for sure. Donate my body to science? We'll see how I treat my own cadaver once med school rolls around. Despite Jewish law, I'd be happy being freeze-dried (not that I'd have an emotion in the matter), getting broken down to a powder by ultrasound, being stuck in a cornstarch box and having the majority of my particles grow into a plant that feeds the world around it. After all, not only will I have morning wood everyday, I'll have plenty of wood 24/7.
The idea can make plenty squemish. How is making our bodies into compost different from animals that die and equally feed the soil. Well, as the author agrees, those animals are usually torn up by scavengers and the resulting feces support the soil, but the majority of families will probably have a slight problem with that. This way the end result is the same, with a less gory image associated.
The author also cites several people from UofM med school she talked that I think I may contact with questions. I just really want to see some plasticized bodies now.
On a separate note, raw material 1: check. Have to sand it down and strip off the bark next.