The Funeral Dirge

Episode Eleven: Everyday Is a School Day

I have a really amazing family. I'm telling you that right now, and this week's episode is just another reason to prove it. My uncle David is one of the most interesting people I know. He's a professor at Rutgers University and he teaches orthodontics. He's a member of Civil Air Patrol. He's one of the most well-read and intelligent folks I've ever met and he's someone for whom I always feel the need to do my homework. He loves learning and teaching and he's curious and he asks a ton of questions and it was a joy for mom and I to talk to him this weekend. I've included a list of books and philosophers we mentioned (as many as I could recall), as well as a bunch of stuff I've found helpful over the years. Let us know if you think we missed something or someone! Happy reading and happy listening! - - -

Episode Ten: "I listen to what makes sense." -Rabbi Hausman

The music geekery went off the charts with this one friends. What a delight it is for me to bring you this conversation between myself, my mother and our dear old friend Rabbi Jonathan Hausman. He and my mom have been friends for well over two decades and for the longest time she always told me that he and I (me, Hannah) would really like each other. Well it's true. Music nerds tend to get along with one another, and he has provided a deep well of knowledge and insight and experience. His stories are some of the best and we are delighted to have him join us share some of them with all of you. Below is a list of most of, if not all, of the music we talked about. I tried to include a few of the movies and a couple books as well for those interested in going deeper. As always, you can find us at SoulOfTheWatchman.com and you find my work at therocknrolldiary.com. Records, songs, shows, etc: - Waiting For Columbus by Little Feat - I Am The Moon by Tedeschi Trucks Band - Songlines by The Derek Trucks Band - Rejuvenation by The Meters - Rock of Ages by The Band - In The Right Place by Dr John - The Last Waltz by The Band - Hot Rats by Frank Zappa - Sonny Landreth - Son House - Tower of Power - Eat a Peach by The Allman Brothers Band - Live at Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band - Taj Mahal by Taj Mahal Movies: - Festival Express - Woodstock - Muscle Shoals - The Wrecking Crew

Episode Nine: Do The Right Thing

What happens when the shit hits the fan? Who makes the phone calls? Who signs the papers? Who do you call? Where do you get the phone numbers? We dive into these questions and a bunch of other stuff this week. Health care proxies, accident prevention for athletes, strategies, resources and the like -- and we told some old family stories! Links to all the things below: - LLS Fundraiser --> https://pages.lls.org/tnt/ma/chicago23/HWolfepac - Jimmy Fund Clinic --> https://www.jimmyfund.org/ - Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute --> https://www.dana-farber.org/ - RoadID --> https://www.roadid.com/ - PMC --> https://www.pmc.org/

Episode Eight: The Right to Die Explained

I wrote a big paper about right-to-die issues when I was in college. I was taking an ethics class and we spent a number of weeks discussing doctor assisted suicide. I became fascinated with the relationship between death and medicine, and how our culture discusses the issue of taking one's own life if faced with terminal illness. As we discuss in the episode, my argument was if you have as much a right to choose how you live, you have just as much a right to choose how you die. This was an important conversation about spirituality, what happens in the immediate aftermath of death, how can we move forward this conversation around death and dying and what does it look like to accept the fact that our bodies will cease to be one. We hope you learn something. There is more information via the resources below. Resources: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_EKwSXOsVE (Retro Report on Dr. Jack Kevorkian) - https://deathwithdignity.org/ (Death with Dignity) - https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/23067752-timothy-edward-quill/publications (work by Dr. Timothy E. Quill)

Episode Seven: How Does That Make You Feel?

Mental health. The opioid crisis. Parenting. Being a young person in the world right now. To say thinking about all of those things at the same is hard would be the understatement of all time. Some days it feels unconscionably difficult to manage, and yet we do it every day. Some days it all feels like too much and it's difficult to talk about. If there is anything I'm grateful for it's being surrounded by loved ones who are open and willing to listen. It is an immense privilege and I do not take it for granted. For those who feel like there aren't loving and caring folks in their immediate vicinity, I've collected a list of resources for people to utilize. The bravest thing anyone can do in a crisis is ask for help. There is help out there and it's ready for you. You are loved, you are worthy. You are deserving of a full and glorious life. You matter. You matter. Resources: - https://www.nami.org/Home [https://www.nami.org/Home] - https://www.mhanational.org/ [https://www.mhanational.org/] - https://www.hrc.org/resources/mental-health-resources-in-the-lgbtq-community [https://www.hrc.org/resources/mental-health-resources-in-the-lgbtq-community] - https://therapyforblackgirls.com/ [https://therapyforblackgirls.com/] - https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/tools-resources/index.htm [https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/tools-resources/index.htm] - https://runtohomebase.org/ [https://runtohomebase.org/] - https://homebase.org/ [https://homebase.org/]