The Theatre of Life

Lady Priscilla Etienne Funeography©

If you were asked to recall the greatest moments in your life, could you do it? The birth of your baby, your wedding day, your first job, your first car, or the first house you bought. For each of us there is something different. I could never be accused of waiting in the wings, or blending into the background. I see my life as being theatrical, many times ending up centre stage. I have always been colourful, always drawn to the unusual. In the past couple of years there has been increase in the term 'Making Memories' accompanying pictures being taken and posted on social media. As a photographer when I take a picture I think about the moment it is taken, not what I'm leaving behind.

I still have and use photo albums. I like to feel the pictures, and smell the change of the albums with age. Sometimes they throw up dust when I open and close them (it all adds to the experience) there is nothing like it. I want people to look at my images, see the moment and just for a short time, be there.
This is what I feel life is for all of us.
   We are born, we are given a name, a stage name. We are then expected to develop into the character our parents want or expect. We become the lead part and they remain completely focused on what they want us to deliver.
  When I chose Funeography as a vocation I knew exactly what I wanted to give to my audience. I wanted to give hope, laughter, tears and an accurate reflection of who the person who died was, by capturing the day as well as the many people who shared their life.

I wonder.... When do we know if the whole performace was good enough? If we've given our best, or if everyone who saw appreciated it, or even understood it?
Well, as long as you understood, and if you had to explain your life story you could do it well and to a captive audience.


I dedicate this blog to Terry Ronald, whose life performance has turned into a wonderful book and now poised for a theatrical audience, and for finding incredible strength, despite the exceptionally difficult loss he has so recently suffered with the death of his sister Tina. 

See you at the next posting.

The Waiting Room

Priscilla Etienne Funeography 

                                                             
We're here, going about our daily business, dealing with every day things as well as difficult things.
The next time we are aware, we are somewhere else. Somewhere we don't recognise. Maybe with people we don't know. There's questions lots of questions.
Where are we?
How did we get here? How long have we been here?
How are we going to get back?  
    Upon losing my friend and experiencing grief for the first time, many years ago I imagined 'The waiting room'. A place where you go when you die. The in-between so to speak. There are other people there waiting to be collected. It is always a member of the family that comes to collect you. regardless of how you got there, they are always pleased to see you because they have missed you. If your arrival was abrupt or unexpected they might even tell you off straight after and say; You're not supposed to be here".
I try to picture every detail of the waiting room. There would be landscape pictures on the walls to encourage calm thoughts, to slow the speed of the questions.
It wouldn't be particularly big but there would always be plenty of room. There would be no unhealthy sounds indicating some of the illnesses that people waiting had and no physical disabilities, for when you arrive in the waiting room you have left all illnesses in your physical body.

I always wished that I could sit with those in the waiting room. Maybe find out what last wishes were intended, and if they had seen and spent time with everyone they had wanted to.

Imagine the different ages of everyone in the waiting room and the different achievements in life.
There are always newcomers to the waiting room. In the last few weeks three people I know have arrived.

Dolly Barry
Captain Gerry Coveney
Scott Punnet

These three incredible people are so diverse, they have all lived full and vibrant lives. They have all been big achievers who have made a very strong and unforgettable impact on the lives of those they have left behind. If I could say one last thing to each of them in the waiting room, this is what I would say;
Dolly Barry: You always had your door open for a welcoming cup of tea or a glass of wine. I think you were a really good listener with a soothing calm voice. You were a bit like a counsellor. You had a way of making people feel at ease.

Captain Gerry Coveney: Sir, when I was with G Coy 4RGJ the few conversations we had were valuable to me. I respected you for various things, your firm but calm manner, your kindness, but most of all because you worked your way through the ranks to the position you held with great pride.
I saw the way you held your daughter-in-law and my old friend Lisa, in the highest regard and even though I would see you occasionally outside of army life I never dropped your title sir. On to a place even more glorious, to match your achievements in life.

Scott Punnett: If you have to wait here too long you'll start getting restless, wanting to see all the fabulous friends that went before you. I bet you've been boasting to the other people here, about the tributes that have come flooding in for you. Do me one favour Scott, give Mervyn Webber a kiss and hug from me, and an even bigger one from Lorrayn, she misses him every day. If you can still generate the warmth and love we all had for him thirty years later, you would have definitely made your mark. We'll all miss you Scott, now go and liven the place up some more.