2000-05-31 || 16:14:41

Maurice's funeral

Well, it's pretty much over. Every flag in Montr�al is still at half-mast and every store window and restaurant still has a 'number 9' banner hanging out the front, but the funeral and procession have turned from immediate future to immediate past without much of a rumble here in the office.

Except that the boss sent us over to spend a couple of minutes at the Basillica.

My last catholic funeral was a long time ago, and it wasn't a state funeral. The choir had been much, much smaller. I had forgotten about the singing, the songs that sound as if they were designed to raise a lump in your throat, whatever language the words are in. The notes themselves are sad. Not maudlin, mind, just really, gracefully, sad.

But the crush of people that clogged the streets was immense. Inside, Jacques Parizeau crawled out of hiding to pay his respects, and the Prime Minister and the Premier forgot that they were political enemies for a minute or two. The same Prime minister who used to break the rules at college so he could hear Maurice Richard play on the radio he'd snuck in past the administration. The same Prime minister who skipped King Hussein of Jordan's funeral for a ski trip.

But over the past couple of days, looking at Montr�al has brought a slightly distasteful question to my mind: With so many banners and '9s' around town, were the banner-makers expecting him to go, or did they see the Rocket's death as a supreme windfall ?

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Addendum
Pertaining to a recent discussion in my guestbook (and yesterdays spirituality posting), everyone (especially Mostre, Mysteria, and ford) should give this commentary in the Globe and Mail by the Prince of Wales a read. It's a bit christian, but generally makes sence if we replace the Christianity with a general spiritual approach to the Earth.
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older shite

One last little note... - 09.21.2006

de-stressing, biking and terrorism - 06.06.2006

Mildly stressed... - 05.29.2006

More crime stupidity - 05.28.2006

Scary stuff - 05.25.2006

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