What do you want on your tombstone?

08/02/2010

This is not a pizza ad. It's a question I pondered during a long, 11 hour drive back from my vacation. It's not intended to be morbid.

Asking, and answering, the question can help you focus on what really matters to you in your personal and your professional life.

And in today's world of microblogging, status updates and elevator speeches, this exercise is warranted.

Only half-jokingly, I have to wonder how soon we'll start to see text abbreviations used on a headstone?

It's not something I'm looking forward to. But it will bring a whole new meaning to OMG. And you know someone would use FML. I'd consider TTYL or an unrelated option: pwnd it.

None of these options will make the final cut. I'm more focused on the question than the above humor may lead you to believe.

Hopefully you'll consider the question, and your answer, as well.

Posted on 08/02/2010 at 12:47 AM in From the Field, The Brand Called Me, wtf? | Permalink

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A valid question.

I could see myself with a lengthy quote from a famous philosopher, but that could get expensive as the tombstone grows with the text.

I definitely like the idea of an abbreviation. Something like tl dl (Could be interpreted as a few things "too long, didn't live/listen") or n00b/l33t.

Posted by: Saxby | 08/02/2010 at 01:05 AM

An English professor at my school passed away while I was there and had the following epitaph put on his tombstone: "If you can read this you're standing on me."

Posted by: Noah | 08/02/2010 at 03:26 AM

I think there is a big advertising opportunity on gravestones to help defray burial costs.

It's completely insensitive but once it's breached, may prove popular.

Posted by: Steve Silberberg | 08/03/2010 at 06:45 AM

"I told you I was sick" is one I have seen a few times

Posted by: Amanda | 08/06/2010 at 01:50 PM

@Noah and @Amanda - yours made me smile.

I remember someone saying that there was a lot of life in that " - ". I don't know how that might translate to an epitaph, but it's an awesome thing to think about.

Posted by: Daniel Johnson, Jr. | 08/09/2010 at 10:34 AM

DWL anyone? But to be honest, I doubt many people will get away with it- it’s your friends and family who decide your epitaph so unless you’re Spike Milligan (originator of the “I told you I was ill” gravestone), I’m not sure they’ll see the funny side.

Definitely something fascinating though about how people are remembered. I went to Highgate Cemetery in London a few weeks ago. Alongside Karl Marx, there were some quirky gravestones (I
posted some online: http://theantisofa.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/hanging-out-in-highgate/)

Posted by: Never_online01 | 09/20/2010 at 08:27 PM

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