HW 46

I personally enjoy comparing and contrasting different cultures which death is significantly influenced by. The dead seems to be the most respected people in any culture, probably due to its magical and unknown nature, but it also holds a variety of beliefs and practices. I've seen both the traditional American way as well as the Japanese way, and they both mainly focus on paying respect to the dead. I believe this practice is directly connected to how people are afraid of being forgotten rather than experiencing death and by periodically paying respect to the dead, you let them know that they are not forgotten. A ritual that can keep someone alive forever in a sense.
My first funeral was when I was eight, but I would say my first experience with death was a bit later. The funeral was for a family friend who I was not very fond of resulting in me walking around confused of what to feel. I remember this was the first time I have ever seen someone literally breakdown in tears. This made me feel guilty, not because of the loss but because I did not feel the same way. My first real experience with death was last year at a wake after my friends dad had passed away. This time I understood the situation but was startled by how sudden death can be. I realized that people (young people especially) focus on living so much that they feel like death will never come too fast.
Overall my experiences made me question the negativity that surrounds death.