Funeral People and My New Best Friend!!

Today I was driving on a country road and I passed an honest to God, old-timey hardware store that had this bird, or one just like it, stuck in the ground out front. So, hear my wheels squealing to turn into the parking lot. I walked in and said to the two nice ladies at the cash register, “I want that white crane that you have out front!”

“You mean the egret?”

“Well, whatever. It looks like a crane, don’t you think?”

“It certainly can be if you need a crane.”

“I need a crane!”

She looked at me as if I had escaped from solitary confinement. “If you need for it to be a crane, then it’s a crane!

I paid for my new best friend and left with my  ”crane” that may actually be an egret, but who cares. I am no ornithologist and I have not been this excited about a purchase in…well, I am not sure when.

I am imagining the possibilities!!!!

So, after work, I went to a fundraiser for Hospice which was a shrimp boil with bluegrass and beer. I took my crane to show my friends and on the way in, I ran into this guy, who immediately asked, “What in the world are you doing with that bird?”

He was wearing an “ANDREWS” shirt, written in a lovely script. In Wilmington, NC , there is no explanation necessary for what Andrews means. It is the Mortuary. It’s right beside St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, which is unofficially known as St.  Paul’s by the Mortuary. The brand “Andrews” is unmistakable. They have buried generations of Wilmingtonians for ages and ages.. In a city that is old enough for General Cornwallis to have set up his headquarters, history is of utmost importance and “Andrews” has been there to witness a whole lot of history.

The man from “Andrews”,  was genuinely excited about my “crane”.

Mortuary people are my people. I was the undertaker’s daughter and there is a whole bunch of crazy wrapped up in that, let me tell you!!! I tried to explain to the mortician, about my affection for cranes and what they symbolize and that I have a humorous blog named “The Paper Craner”. He came along for the ride. Funeral people can play to any crowd, regardless of  politics, religion, socio-economic status, etc because they are in an equal opportunity burial business. So a crazy old lady walking around carrying a crane to a fundraiser is perfectly within normal limits. There we were, kindred funeral people spirits, happening upon each other for a quick conversation and a photo op. And we were all there to enjoy the shrimp, bluegrass and beer

Ok, is it just me, or is anyone else picking up on the fact that there were people at the Hospice fundraiser wearing “Andrews” shirts? This is what happens when you are raised in a funeral home. You see the world with this kind of slant. Yes, that’s me…slanted, alright!!