Memorial Day Flowers...no thank you!

So right now I'm a temp at a local wholesale florist's. I worked there during Valentine's Day and have been back for the month of May for Mother's Day and Memorial Day. I was just thinking, florists have a monopoly on the Memorial Day celebration. Think about it...for most other flower heavy holidays there are other industries over which the sales are dispersed. On Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, the flower industry shares it's wealth with the chocolate, card, and trinket industries. I've decided that when I am memorialized, at some point in the future, I would appreciate chocolate. Really, it's likely that I'm not hanging out around my tombstone and even if I am and the taste is not an option, the sleek, clean look of a well wrapped box of See's chocolate would do me just as much good or more as seeing some flowers sitting there. Besides, there will be lots of other flowers around to look at. Also, having chocolate instead of flowers would make me unique and not comparable to other tombstones with flowers, which brings me to my next point.

Today I worked on the mini arrangements at the shop, and I've worked on small, medium, and large. If there is ever a time when uniform is a good idea, I would say it's in memorial flowers. Shouldn't death be the great equalizer? I mean, not of course in who the person was in life or their accomplishments and unique attributes but in the fluffy stuff. Like my junior high school uniforms became blue, khaki, and white (the year after I left, thank heaven...pun intended)... aren't we all going to a pretty basic white uniform? So why can't their be just one size memorial arrangement. I can picture us all hanging out "up there", minding our own paradisaical business, when someone gets the bright idea to take a peek down on Earth to, I don't know... check out the new technological advances and keep an eye on a wild grandchild. We wander around (haunting some of our old haunts...hardy har har) and decide to meet back up at the cemetery. "Oh hey, look over in that corner of the cemetery...right by the mausoleum. Yeah, right there...that new fountain's a nice touch in that corner." And, "Oh how nice, the trees in our generation of the grounds are finally getting big enough to provide some shade for our...what the!!! A MEDIUM?" What is the floral arrangement size difference thing all about anyway? Some kind of final popularity contest. "Wow! Look over there and that super sized arrangement! That *Megan Bell was cool in life but man...this seals the deal." I'm just saying...we may need to rethink things. This is why the chocolates are a good idea...no one does it and besides, I think I'll want to know that the chocolate business is still thriving (even with me, a devoted customer, no longer supporting them). Also, if I'm the only one with chocolates mine will be special. (But if this thing catches on, don't give me no puny Hershey's bar...I want a two pound box of See's buttercream...wrapped perfectly in their black and white traditional wrap.) It is not unlikely though that I will come up with some great excuse to tell my buddies... "Yeah well, I taught my posterity to be frugal with their money and that arrangement is just a waste... it is not an example of provident living! I'm fine...it's good this way...it's good...it's good (cue tear-ductless sobbing... "Immm nooooot coo-hiccup-ooooooool......deep breath.......hiccup!)

*Megan Bell was one of the coolest 8th graders when I was just a lowly 7th grader. She was lovely and smart and managed to be nice too (from what I remember), which isn't something you can say about every popular girl. I remember it was rumored that she never wore the same outfit twice! Oooooooo! Ahhhhhh! It's amazing what kids can come up with when they decide to worship one of their peers. She was in Barbie commercials and had long blond hair. She was the "it" girl in our school.