And When I Die....

No, No, No, I'm not dying and I know it's not a pleasant subject but please, I am begging....

1. Do not spend more money than necessary on arrangements.
2. Donate any and all of my organs to people who need them.
3. Do not let people I don't know comment in my obituary.

The other day I got a phone call from a reporter who was unfortunately writing an obituary for my former high school principal. I wasn't sure why he wanted to talk to me (or how he got my unlisted number???) but the reporter asked if this man was indeed my principal and if I knew him. When I said that I didn't really know him, he asked if I remembered any contact I may have had with him.

I did remember that after one performance in that year's musical, he stopped me in the hallway and complimented my solo. That was pretty much it. I wouldn't consider that a close relationship.

"Nothing else?" the reporter asked. Nope. Nada. I'm sorry, but I didn't really know the man.

Today I get another call from the reporter telling me that the obituary has been published and he used my quote. My quote? What quote? I didn't say anything worthy of placement in an obituary.

I go buy the paper and sure enough, there it is. My comment about how he stopped me in the hallway and it's the only quote from anyone. I'm thinking I would have rather been misquoted and had something written that at least sounded like I knew him.

Certainly, with the thousands of students and faculty who passed through that man's career, there must have been someone who could have made a more intimate and heartwarming statement attesting to that man's life than what I had to offer. I'm wondering why it was my story that the reporter used. This seems very strange to me.