Scattering Ashes up at the Plains.
Well, I went to two funerals yesterday- one was my cousin Benny Rowe that died of stomach cancer at the age of 70. And the other funeral was the spreading of the ashes of Mandy Sherer, who committed suicide about a month ago. Mandy wanted her ashes to be spread out on “the Plains”- which is an old strip mine area that for years was open to public seemingly, well…everyone I hung out with either already knew where it was or, if I was hanging out with someone new or someone who had never been to the Plains, I always took ‘em up there to hang out, look at stars, listen to music, whatever. As it’s name suggests the Plains is a big open space, rolling hills actually- with only a few trees here and there.- The only patch of trees out there in these hundreds of acres is a big patch of trees up on this hill- where there is this graveyard- an old graveyard from the late 1700’s- the 1800’s. It’s obvious that the strippers left this land alone out of respect of the dead- there’s still a road that leads directly up to the graveyard. Now they have the side road entrance to the hillside graveyard area gated off so, unless you want to walk far- up this big rocky hill road, you’re not going to hang out up there.
The funeral happened on Saturday October 8th. It was about 90 degrees out- very hot and sunny, I wore my straw hat. Zeke Nichols and Mandy Blackwood got married about a month or so ago. They were there, Zeke’s beard was huge and red. It was tripping me out. He barely looked like himself. Mandy had her hair dyed this deep interesting red. Anyway, when I first rolled up to the gate, it was Allison Woodley standing at the gate, guiding people in. She informed me that they were running out of parking up there, so they were asking people to park beside the gate- just inside it and ride up in Mandy’s dad’s truck. Well, to clear up any confusion (just mentioned Mandy Blackwood)…it was Mandy Sherer’s funeral that we were at. Her dad- Paul was chilling with us down by the hill, smoking cigs and talking about all the beer bottles they found up there at the ceremony sight. So, yes…the plan was to play some sweet songs on the boom box up there, spread Mandy’s ashes into the wind,…yes, It was a rather windy day. Lee Johnson finally showed up, we actually had to go back at the last minute to pick him up because he was a bit late. When Lee came to get in the truck, Zeke hopped in the back, it was actually a big s.u.v. thing.
Mandy actually left a suicide note and said in the letter that she wanted her ashes scattered up and the Plains and that she wanted everybody to bring a single flower. I brought a rose off a thorny rose bush at this doctor’s office I passed on the way through Jasper. Lee Johnson brought a tiger lilly, I was particularly interested in his ash scattering style- he actually reached his hand into the vase and pulled out a handful of ashes and bone bits- throwing them into the wind with a fling and an observance. A yellow butterfly circled the area where he was standing, he threw about 4 or 5 handfuls. It was really sad. Everybody else before him had tipped the vase and let the ashes fall out onto the ground or into the wind. Mandy’s mother kept asking if there was anybody else that wanted to scatter the ashes, so I stepped up and proceeded to reach in the vase as Mandy’s mother and father insisted that I take my time and offered me to hold the vase, I was just going to get one handful and walk out there and throw it over the tall weeds like Lee had done, but they insisted: “Take your time, Ben.” When I poured out the ashes into my hand I looked and noticed there were bone bits as well, this was emotionally intense and after I threw the ashes, I whispered under my breath, : “Bones”…I’m sure nobody but God heard me, if she’s out there.
Mandy’s mother talked a really long time and kept asking everybody to speak up and share memories they have of Mandy. Family was there, friends, cousins, hippie girls in their dresses, dudes with their long hair, old folks in their lawn chairs. In the middle of the ceremony I had to walk down the hill to hide and pee, nowhere else to go, didn’t think I could squeeze it out behind one of the big trucks or s.u.v.’s. After the funeral Zeke and Mandy went walking up to the graveyard. I wish I had went with them.
The funeral happened on Saturday October 8th. It was about 90 degrees out- very hot and sunny, I wore my straw hat. Zeke Nichols and Mandy Blackwood got married about a month or so ago. They were there, Zeke’s beard was huge and red. It was tripping me out. He barely looked like himself. Mandy had her hair dyed this deep interesting red. Anyway, when I first rolled up to the gate, it was Allison Woodley standing at the gate, guiding people in. She informed me that they were running out of parking up there, so they were asking people to park beside the gate- just inside it and ride up in Mandy’s dad’s truck. Well, to clear up any confusion (just mentioned Mandy Blackwood)…it was Mandy Sherer’s funeral that we were at. Her dad- Paul was chilling with us down by the hill, smoking cigs and talking about all the beer bottles they found up there at the ceremony sight. So, yes…the plan was to play some sweet songs on the boom box up there, spread Mandy’s ashes into the wind,…yes, It was a rather windy day. Lee Johnson finally showed up, we actually had to go back at the last minute to pick him up because he was a bit late. When Lee came to get in the truck, Zeke hopped in the back, it was actually a big s.u.v. thing.
Mandy actually left a suicide note and said in the letter that she wanted her ashes scattered up and the Plains and that she wanted everybody to bring a single flower. I brought a rose off a thorny rose bush at this doctor’s office I passed on the way through Jasper. Lee Johnson brought a tiger lilly, I was particularly interested in his ash scattering style- he actually reached his hand into the vase and pulled out a handful of ashes and bone bits- throwing them into the wind with a fling and an observance. A yellow butterfly circled the area where he was standing, he threw about 4 or 5 handfuls. It was really sad. Everybody else before him had tipped the vase and let the ashes fall out onto the ground or into the wind. Mandy’s mother kept asking if there was anybody else that wanted to scatter the ashes, so I stepped up and proceeded to reach in the vase as Mandy’s mother and father insisted that I take my time and offered me to hold the vase, I was just going to get one handful and walk out there and throw it over the tall weeds like Lee had done, but they insisted: “Take your time, Ben.” When I poured out the ashes into my hand I looked and noticed there were bone bits as well, this was emotionally intense and after I threw the ashes, I whispered under my breath, : “Bones”…I’m sure nobody but God heard me, if she’s out there.
Mandy’s mother talked a really long time and kept asking everybody to speak up and share memories they have of Mandy. Family was there, friends, cousins, hippie girls in their dresses, dudes with their long hair, old folks in their lawn chairs. In the middle of the ceremony I had to walk down the hill to hide and pee, nowhere else to go, didn’t think I could squeeze it out behind one of the big trucks or s.u.v.’s. After the funeral Zeke and Mandy went walking up to the graveyard. I wish I had went with them.