Robert R. Fenichel |
In Memoriam On speaking of the recently dead In my experience, people speaking at funerals and memorial services frequently forget that the program is about the dead person, not about them. For example, a speaker might say <Dead Person> was the best friend I ever had. He was always there when I needed him. Now I spend much of every day thinking of him, and I know I'll never forget him. Suppose that these statements are all true, and that the speaker can barely get them out without breaking down. That's all very well, but these remarks tell us something about the speaker, but nothing about <Dead Person>. They waste the audience's time. Compare these to Sandi Garrett's warm reminiscence of Ray Lipicky:
That's how to do it.
Page revised: 10/21/2023 20:11
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