The Business of Death….
April 17, 2006
One day I was working at my little newsagents shop and I was trying to box up an item that a customer was purchasing. I was working with Mary at the time and the shop had about 8 to 10 people mulling about. I could tell they were tourists because they were looking at all the crap tourist stuff.
Mary was acting a bit nervous and was going to the front door and looking out down the street and looking at the clock. I just figured she was looking for some one in particular. It started to get a bit busy at the register and I stopped noticing what Mary was up to. Then she started to turn the lights on and off. There was a panel of about 8 light switch’s on the wall behind the front door and she was looking at the lights and switching them on and off, like she wasn’t getting the right light switch that she was wanting. I just kept on ringing people out. Customers were also looking at her like “what’s up?”
One woman was trying to look at our disposal cameras that are behind the counter down by the sweets. I went down to help her and she asked if we were closing? I said I had no idea what was going on.
I then was ringing her out and all of a sudden Mary turned off all the lights and just stood in the store looking out the window. I looked at the customers who were looking back at me and I finally caught Mary’s eyes and gave a shrug of my shoulders and put my “hands up like “What’s up?” She FINALLY said “It will just be a minute Kym” and that was it.
Everyone including me just stood in the store wondering what the hell was going on and looking in the direction that Mary was.
Then all of sudden we saw it.
We saw people walking up the middle of the street. There was a Hurst followed by hundreds of people. Apparently the road was closed off and all these people were following the Hurst of a woman that died in the town.
I felt emotion well up in my throat and it brought tears to my eyes, and I realized that it was a symbol of respect for the deceased and I was truly moved.
As the last of the people walked by, Mary switched on the lights and it was business as usual.
I later asked Mary (even though I think I figured it out) why the lights were put down. She said that all the shops have always done that as a respect to the person that died. I asked how she knew they were coming and she said that mass ended at 1:00 and she knew they would be coming past on their way to the burial. She said that is how is always has been.
What an amazing thing to witness, even as I write this I still feel the emotion and the honor of being a part of this common yet respectful tradition. That’s TRULY the way to go out….
Kym
Tags: Ireland, Travel, Travel
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