Is There Anybody Out There?

I don't suppose anyone much is reading this yet, as this is still such a new blog.  This leaves me to ponder why I'm writing at all . . . after all, I don't suppose my last blog managed more than about fifteen hits a day maximum, and usually much less!  The answer to my own question, though, is that I do like to write, and it may as well be for a real audience, be that audience ever so small.  And it's a chance to raise issues and even stimulate debate - if there's anyone out there who might be interested!

I work for a funeral director on a part time basis (one day a week, and then on other occasions on a casual basis).  It's work I enjoy doing, with colleagues I enjoy working with.  Funeral directors and their staff have not always received a good press, and a couple of recent TV programmes have exposed severe deficiencies and an attitude at best of some disrespect within some firms nationally.  I suppose it is only right that if things are wrong and badly done, those deficiencies should be exposed and reported.  It is sad but true, however, that the profession as a whole, which is a profession and does seek as such to establish and maintain high standards of service, is bound to find its reputation tainted by those few (I trust) bad apples.  So it's good that there has also been a very positive look at the profession on BBC TV, in their autumn 2012 series 'Dead Good Job'.  I am not too keen on that title, but the approach and content were good, if at times straying towards the quirky.

We aim always for high standards of care and attention and service, and are rightly pulled up sharply when we fall short of these.  It is of course particularly sad when there are funerals at this season, and as such I think all of us on duty took special care over the funerals yesterday and today on which we were engaged, both of which I think were well done, and the family in each case treated with care and well supported.

One thing that is true of every work situation, and the funeral profession is going to be no exception to this, is the way that rules tend to be observed with less rigour over time, that things that ought to be specially considered and planned become merely a matter of routine, and employees become less supportive of one another.  A good firm like ours will take the trouble - and the time - to review and revise procedures and working arrangements so as to prevent this, and will also be attentive and ready to learn, picking up ideas from others and from the industry widely, trying out new things ourselves, and (perhaps most importantly) being guided by our clients themselves, the families and friends for whom we are working.  What worked for them, and what didn't?  What can we do better?  There is always something.  Good planning and briefing is vital;  taking time to debrief can be as well.

A poem which, while not itself a depiction of either of our funerals this week, was perhaps a little inspired by one of them in its writing:

Single stems of roses and handfuls of soil,

and a sky patched in grey, and ivy climbing the old stones;

the river high and swirling over by the bridges,

the cawing of rooks in the high trees beyond the buildings.

A country funeral, soon after Christmas,

the old church warm and well filled, and

the coffin brought to its careful rest close by

the parish tree with its tinsel and baubles and star.

The usual hymns were sung, the prayers read from the book.

And there was laughter as well as tears,

as the stories were told and due tribute paid

before the solemn procession led out along the path.

And after it all was done,

though not alone (the house was full)

she was alone,

and will be alone, as another year begins.