Special Report: National Funeral Directors Assoc. convention 2015

Just returned from the NFDA convention in Indianapolis,IN and what can I say?

I had never attended the NFDA before as it is the more conservative of the funeral conventions (if that is possible) and no one had ever promoted it as being as much fun as say the ICCFA (the Cemetery & Cremation convention) . However I had special reason to walk the show this year so I went and who do you suppose was the very first person I bumped into on the floor?

Yes that's right - Caitlyn Doughty ! the Ask a Mortician/Smoke Gets in your Eyes/Death Salon girl herself right there in front of the resomation chamber! I had just seen Caitlyn speak at the National Home Funeral Alliance in Los Gatos a couple of weekends ago so we were both gobsmacked to see one another in Indiana -( but we do run in the same deathy circles! ) I have no selfie reflexes so this pic (which should be in front of the resomation machine ) is actually from the Death Salon earlier this year at the Getty Museum in LA. sorry.

Funeral conventions are always fairly surreal like a 1959 time capsule because until the last member of the "great generation" draws their very last breath - funeral providers will continue to sell them what they have been happy to purchase for the past 60+ years . However there are always the odd mind blowing exceptions that do not disappoint. This year it was the "synthetic human"cadaver. ( Yes it felt moist - yes, it was very cold ):

the Sleeping Beauty Plexiglass caskets ! (One would only hope the family never requests an exumation ! ):

A fantastic "Ode to Abe "exhibit complete with original casket (with ol'Abe inside) and the Freedom Carraige! (love love love a horse drawn funeral caissons like KINKARACO's own KINKARA-KART™!!)

and so life like......................

Indianapolis (hometown of the KKK) was unexpectedly sophisticated and getting as gentrified as SF, LA and NY (except that you can still buy a gigantic 2 story house on a quarter of an acre for under $200,000.00!)

I went to alot of shopping malls and had a really fun time with my celebrant friend Barb who showed me what a Giant pretzel looks like (which was shocking because I live in a carb deprived area ) :

It was also great getting a chance to talk to real live Republicans in person because we don't have any in San Francisco - ( It's the Democrats VS. the Green Party.)

It is so important for Americans to "cross pollinate" and listen to one another without writing each other off as "crazy & stupid" , so we imagined a smack down between Hillary and Carley and wondered how bloody it could actually get. ( I sidestepped the immigration issue completely... ) In the funeral industry politics and religion are a no no and never mentioned .

Of course everyone who attends these conventions is just a little bit odd which is why I love them so .....

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh,my people.

Thanks for another great convention. I had a wonderful time in the exotic midwest and can't wait for the ICCFA in Nola this spring!

Over & out!