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NauenThen

Funerals

It's not my hobby or anything, but I like going to funerals of people I don't know—synagogue people, say, or the parents of friends. You learn a life story, you get some cathartic crying, & when it's over, you haven't been broken.

So I was thinking I might like to be a professional mourner, a moirologist. If you happen to be short a crowd in Essex, England, you can get a couple hours of fake grief from Rent-A-Mourner for about $75. In China and some African and Middle Eastern countries, it's traditional to hire public grievers. The Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas specializes in over-the-top “going home” ceremonies that can include paid mourners. (Unfortunately, while I can pass for sad, I can’t pass as Black at the Golden Gate.)

A friend & I had the idea to write eulogies for pay—this could be one more service we could offer.
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