Finally, Election Day is here. After a vitriol-filled, seemingly-endless campaign, voters are voting and we’ll have results soon. If you haven’t done it yet, please vote!
Did you know that Dr. Ernest Becker, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Denial of Death, famously argued that our death anxiety influences our choices and behaviors? Check out this explanation of his Terror Management Theory to learn how the major parties use fear and anxiety to rouse our emotions as a persuasion tool.
Long before becoming a death educator, I was a producer with C-SPAN, the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network. With a license to use film clips in my talks, I did a presentation this year titled “Movies, Media and the 2016 Presidential Election.” Here’s the mash-up of movies used to wrap up the collection, to bid farewell to this endless campaign:
Attending the National Funeral Directors Association convention and expo in Philadelphia in late October, it was great to see so many familiar folks! Look for “Tools of the Trade” blog posts on interesting developments I saw at the expo coming soon.
This Saturday’s ABQ Death Cafe featured some really excellent conversations about mortality, immortality and medicine. The next one is scheduled for Saturday, December 17 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. More information at this web page.
Links to recent posts at The Family Plot Blog, upcoming events and a thoughtful quote follow. Please call 505.265.7215 if I can be of assistance!
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®
The Family Plot Blog Highlights
Click on the titles to read the blog post and see the associated videos. Review all posts on The Family Plot Blog or view just the Death Cartoons posted on the blog!
How To Make Christmas Gift Giving a Downsizing Adventure This Christmas, avoid the clutter of unwanted items and make holiday gift giving an opportunity to downsize.
Fundamentals of Chinese American Funeral Customs – Part Three Read all three posts for an enlightening look at Chinese funeral traditions.
How to Treat Cremated Remains: New Vatican Rules for Catholics The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith provides a new instruction on the burial of the dead and the treatment of cremated remains.
And if you’d like to see video of the recent KICKING THE BUCKET LIST talk at Bookworks, here’s the video on YouTube:
Upcoming Events and a Thoughtful Quote
See the Calendar page for a full listing of events.
Monday, November 21, 3:00 p.m. — Speaking to the Professional Organizers of New Mexico group.
Tuesday, November 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. — Discussion and book signings for KICKING THE BUCKET LIST at the Horn Family YMCA, 4901 Indian School Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM.
Sunday, December 4, 3:30 p.m. — Speaking and book signing event for KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die at Page One Books in the Mountain Run Center, 5850 Eubank Blvd. Suite B-41, Albuquerque, NM.
Monday, December 5, 2:30 p.m. — Speaking and book signing event for KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die at La Vida Llena Community, 10501 Lagrima De Oro Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM.
Saturday, December 10, 1:00 p.m. — Speaking and book signing event for KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die at Treasure House Books, 2012 S Plaza St NW, Albuquerque, NM.
“Man cannot endure his own littleness unless he can translate it into meaningfulness on the largest possible level.” ― Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death