Nothing Is Certain Except Death And Taxes

And wobbly wheels on shopping carts.

I was out of town last week for work. Left on Tuesday and got back on Friday. The trip took me on a loop in northeastern North Dakota. I worked in Jamestown, Grand Forks, Grafton, Park River, Edinburg, and Edmore. I visited a tire shop, a trucking company, a cycle and marine dealer, a body shop, a garbage service company, a funeral home, and a steel erection contractor. My job gives me a lot of variety that way, and I like that.

I really like the smell of new tires so I enjoyed visiting the tire shop. And I like motorcycles so the visit to the cycle dealer was a good time.

I don't really like it, but a visit to a funeral home is usually interesting in some way. This particular business had three funeral homes in three different cities. At least this time there wasn't a body in a prep room. Although, if there is I usually say I don't really need to see the room. No thank you - I can catch it next time.

This guy shared with me something I had never really thought about regarding burials. Their area has a high water table so they have to basically dig the hole, say a few words, and then get the casket in the ground. No digging the grave the day before, or even hours before. In one recent burial the grave was already full of water after a short graveside service. When that happens they have to pump out the water, set the casket in, and replace the dirt as soon as possible.

It has to take a certain kind of person to own and/or operate a funeral home, or to do mortuary work. It certainly isn't something I could do. Not my cup of tea. In this case the business owner had hoped to take over his family farm, but when his family sold the farm he went into mortuary service. That seems like kind of a leap but I would assume there is more to that story.

I'm sure for most people in the business it is a vocation or calling, but in the back of my cynical mind I often wonder if it isn't mostly for the money. That is a negative thought, isn't it? Again, that probably comes out because there is no way I could see myself in that industry.

Have a great day!