Gerald Ford, dead today

I know, bad taste. Dana Carvey doing Tom Brokaw always cracks me up though. Unfortunate that Gerald Ford wasn't alive to get to go to Ted Kennedy's funeral. He was conspicuous by his absence.

I didn't really think too much about Teddy's passing. After all, he'd been very sick for a while, and it's not as though I knew him. But there was something about seeing yet another Kennedy funeral that I found moving. Maybe having lost both of my parents and having been through tough funerals has something to do with it. It's just that feeling of grief and loss that families have to go through.

What I did think about, though, was all of the pomp that took place back when JFK was killed. I'm guessing that was the first presidential funeralizing that was shown on tv, and it was ALL that was on TV back then. Granted, we only had four stations (2,4,5, and 7) in Boston at the time, but I remember it being on TV for the entire week. And that's where kids around the country learned about military processionals, caissons and the horse with the backwards boots in the stirrups, and how quickly life can end. JFK, Jackie's blood spattered pink Chanel suit, LBJ and his giant earlobes (I know, I should have been mourning, but those things were enormous), Oswald getting shot by Jack Ruby on tv. It was all so surreal.

I was impressed that Teddy had Placido Domingo and Yo Yo Ma perform at his funeral. I will probably have an iPod or a boom box at mine. Makes me shudder to think about it but I am getting on in age. One of these days I'll figure out what I believe in and then plan what I want people to do for me when I'm gone.

So what's my point.....? I'm not sure. I guess it's yet another musing on what's real, what's important, what's it all about. That's why I keep moving, keep going, keep it up. If I stop for too long, I just might think about all of that too much.