What to do when you're dead.

I was out for a drive this afternoon with a buddy of mine. It was a grey day, overcast and threatening rain. There was nothing good on the radio and I had forgotten to bring along some decent cd's. So, driving along country roads in a somber mood, the topic came up; what do you do when your dead?.

You know, after you die, what do you want done with your body?

I was quite surprised at how much thought my buddy had given this topic. He was very precise in how he wanted his body to be buried. Even though, his religion did not forbid donating his body parts to medicine or science, he was adamant that he be buried "intact" and "whole".

This struck me as being rather odd, at least to my way of thinking. I believe that once your are dead, well, that's it. You don't need your body. If there is an afterlife, it certainly won't involve my body. I mean, what do I care if my body is buried? I'm dead and, at best, I'm a spirit.

When I die I really don't care what happens to my body. Personally, I have already designated that my body should go to science. If my eyes or organs can help anyone, swell. They should help someone. At the very least, I intend that my body should go to the local medical school to help in training new physicans.

I had read somewhere that young doctors in med schools work on cadavers that consistently have the same ailments -- those afflicting the poor and indigent -- as they obtain their cadavers from segment of society least able to afford the expensive social practice and custum of burial, internment or even cremation.

Now I certainly can afford to be buried. I have insurance. Perhaps my body ...my cadaver.. can help some young physician practice, learn something --anything--that can help someone else. As far as burial or cremation, I don't really care. It doesn't mean anything to me now and it certainly won't mean anything to me when I'm dead. But I certainly hope my family doesn't waste one penny on any sort of burial. If there is to be any sort of ceremony, I hope that it's a party and that everyone has a great time.

What do you think? What do you want to do when you're dead?

When I die, I'd like to be a donor (if anything is viable LOL)...otherwise I'll donate my corpse to that guy that platisizes things (and people)...for his macabre museum. Kinda creepy but still very cool.

I had always thought I'd rather be cremated...but there are just so many other options after death...really.

I actually think that sometime in the future they will stop burying the dead due to overcrowding. Especially with such a high number of aging people in North America and the UK...caskets take up a lot of space.

I read somewhere that you can have your ashes super compressed to create a diamond...I'll try to find the link....that'd be cool too.

Like I said...so many options.