Thinking about our own mortality, and how it will end for us, is something that we all do now and again ....
I suspect that the most common versions of this daydream, is the 'funeral' (disposal of our remains), and who would turn up (the disposal of our good name), and the immediate post funeral event (the disposal of our goods) etc.
Now I was recently moved to think about this again, with the announcement that according to the last census, 51% of the UK's adults described themselves as 'single' .... a figure, which if true, is unprecedented in UK history. However it does have to be treated with something of a pinch of salt, as the census does allow people who are actually 'living together' as a couple, or in some other long term relationship, to also be described as 'single' .... so its likely that a large proportion of these 'singletons', are actually in a relationship of some sort.
Even so, there are many more of us who truly are single now, than ever before, and many of these will have little, or no, contact with family who might be trusted to dispose of them or their remains as they may have wished. So the vision as to how we shuffle of this mortal coil, is a little more problematic for these single people, than for those who expect to leave a partner behind.
My last such late night musings on the subject were along those lines ... it was then that I realised with something of a start, that unless I made a plan, I would likely also just be buried somewhere local, with my goods and chattels disposed of via a house clearance company, who would just auction off anything they think valuable, and landfill the rest, This was because I would either be dying intestate, or worse, with some old will leaving all my worldly worth to an ex-partner ... Eek!
Hmm, not a happy thought to dwell on in the middle of the night .... so to this end I have now rewritten my rather ancient last will and testament (written when I was with a significant other half), to reflect the reality of my current life, and not some idealised version of a reality that I believed would be my ending when the last version was drafted.
As a matter of fact, I also actually made some positive decisions on disposal of my remains, on where I want to spend eternity as well (that's if we can actually spend eternity in a grave any more ~ there is talk that grave plots will be reused in the future, every 70 yrs or so). I can do nothing about my reputation, but the other aspect I could control is the disposal of my goods and chattels ... which is an area with more interesting social change.
Now I opted to leave my goods and chattels to charity and friends who survive me. However with so many singletons about, there will be those who are socially isolated and whose properties and estates, that would in former times have been left to partners, children or grandchildren, and which presumably will not now automatically follow this route. In fact in the UK if there is no will, and no plausible family claimant, the property is auctioned off, and the profits go to the state i.e. Her Majesties Tax Man. Potentially a great windfall for the exchequer, but not necessarily a reflection of how the deceased would have wanted the money to go if they had planned it.
So next time I lie awake thinking about my end in the midnight hours, I will be able to do so with a little more equanimity (and possibly more equity if I wanted to use equity release) .... as I will have planned for the disposal of my earthly remains, and more importantly how my goods and chattels will be disposed of.
Its always good to have made a cunning plan .... I would like to suggest that if you haven't done so already, then you do so as well. Recent events have shown me that at best life is fragile and ephemeral, and that its later than you think.
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| Facing Our Own Mortality Is Not A Unique Thought .... |
I suspect that the most common versions of this daydream, is the 'funeral' (disposal of our remains), and who would turn up (the disposal of our good name), and the immediate post funeral event (the disposal of our goods) etc.
Now I was recently moved to think about this again, with the announcement that according to the last census, 51% of the UK's adults described themselves as 'single' .... a figure, which if true, is unprecedented in UK history. However it does have to be treated with something of a pinch of salt, as the census does allow people who are actually 'living together' as a couple, or in some other long term relationship, to also be described as 'single' .... so its likely that a large proportion of these 'singletons', are actually in a relationship of some sort.
Even so, there are many more of us who truly are single now, than ever before, and many of these will have little, or no, contact with family who might be trusted to dispose of them or their remains as they may have wished. So the vision as to how we shuffle of this mortal coil, is a little more problematic for these single people, than for those who expect to leave a partner behind.
My last such late night musings on the subject were along those lines ... it was then that I realised with something of a start, that unless I made a plan, I would likely also just be buried somewhere local, with my goods and chattels disposed of via a house clearance company, who would just auction off anything they think valuable, and landfill the rest, This was because I would either be dying intestate, or worse, with some old will leaving all my worldly worth to an ex-partner ... Eek!
Hmm, not a happy thought to dwell on in the middle of the night .... so to this end I have now rewritten my rather ancient last will and testament (written when I was with a significant other half), to reflect the reality of my current life, and not some idealised version of a reality that I believed would be my ending when the last version was drafted.
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| Taking It With You .... |
As a matter of fact, I also actually made some positive decisions on disposal of my remains, on where I want to spend eternity as well (that's if we can actually spend eternity in a grave any more ~ there is talk that grave plots will be reused in the future, every 70 yrs or so). I can do nothing about my reputation, but the other aspect I could control is the disposal of my goods and chattels ... which is an area with more interesting social change.
Now I opted to leave my goods and chattels to charity and friends who survive me. However with so many singletons about, there will be those who are socially isolated and whose properties and estates, that would in former times have been left to partners, children or grandchildren, and which presumably will not now automatically follow this route. In fact in the UK if there is no will, and no plausible family claimant, the property is auctioned off, and the profits go to the state i.e. Her Majesties Tax Man. Potentially a great windfall for the exchequer, but not necessarily a reflection of how the deceased would have wanted the money to go if they had planned it.
So next time I lie awake thinking about my end in the midnight hours, I will be able to do so with a little more equanimity (and possibly more equity if I wanted to use equity release) .... as I will have planned for the disposal of my earthly remains, and more importantly how my goods and chattels will be disposed of.
Its always good to have made a cunning plan .... I would like to suggest that if you haven't done so already, then you do so as well. Recent events have shown me that at best life is fragile and ephemeral, and that its later than you think.
My head is firmly in the sand but I can hear you up above. Perhaps I can find some sand which is more noise insulating...
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean .... I was the same. But for Men Of A Certain Age in particular, while I accept your are enjoying yourselves (even under the sand), but it really is later than you think. So make that cunning plan while you can my friend ...
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