# What do you want as your epitaph? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011 "2017-09-22T23:21:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/1 "2017-09-22T23:21:26Z")
This came up in two ways over the past several weeks. The first was not directly as in the title but relatedly - my 40th High School Reunion that I went to with arm twisted by a childhood good friend and its “Memory Book” in which alumni were to answer questions that included things like “What have you been up to?” and “Have you ever been honored for anything?” Most answered with descriptions of their career accomplishments and honors and my childhood buddy was a bit perplexed that I did not mention my career at all (wrote more of enjoying NuWho, Steven Universe, and the adaptation of American Gods, and of how High School was an awkward and clueless time for me but as my wife and children will witness those features have never completely gone away). The second and more proximate came up as a the theme of a sermon at the Rosh HaShana service I attended - that we live writing our epitaphs, and discussing if we live an end in mind. How do you hope to be eulogized? So what do want your epitaphs to be? I’ve settled on the following for myself: “A curious person who mostly reached his potential.” I like the different ways it can be interpreted depending on what people thought of me. What do hope yours will be? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/2 "2017-09-22T23:32:54Z")
“He existed.” ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/3 "2017-09-22T23:39:29Z")
Honestly? I don’t want an epitaph, or even a grave. I want to be forgotten. But if I _must_ have a memorial, I’d want it left blank. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/4 "2017-09-22T23:43:25Z")
I think I’d go with Dr. Suess, “Don’t cry because it’s over, laugh because it happened.” Or something to that effect. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/5 "2017-09-22T23:58:08Z")
“This page left intentionally blank.” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/6 "2017-09-23T00:26:47Z")
When my mother killed herself, I borrowed an epitaph from Cordwainer Smith: “Out in the garden of death our young have tasted the valiant taste of fear. With muscular heart and reckless tongue, they have won, and lost, and escaped us here.” For my father, I quoted Shakespeare: "Fear no more the heat o’ the sun, Nor the furious winter’s rages; Thou thy worldly task hast done, Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages: Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney-sweepers, come to dust. " For myself? “A tu dejeuner, Jaco?” ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/7 "2017-09-23T00:34:58Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > “This page left intentionally blank.” Nice. I once saw a very lifelike ceramic statue of a dropped soft serve ice cream cone, about two feet long. I’ve always thought it would make a great marker. It would be a wordless epitaph. ---
**Author:** ![Pippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5a626/32.png) [@Pippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pippers)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/8 "2017-09-23T00:40:45Z")
“Where am I now?” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/9 "2017-09-23T00:47:17Z")
Dancing welcome, and in fact, encouraged; but no spitting, please. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/10 "2017-09-23T00:59:25Z")
“Crap! That was supposed to work.” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/11 "2017-09-23T01:30:05Z")
There is a memorial bench on one of the trails of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park that reads, “But I Feel Fine!” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/12 "2017-09-23T01:35:43Z")
“Please dump my carcass in the nutrient reclaimer.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/13 "2017-09-23T01:43:02Z")
Probably the same as my last words, _“Watch this! Hold my Beer”_. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/14 "2017-09-23T01:53:40Z")
_ **Confusion** _ ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/15 "2017-09-23T01:54:21Z")
Being known as the **Mercotan** is quite epithet enough for me, thanks. Oh, _epitaph_! Let me work on that a bit . . . Utúlie’n aurë! Auta i lómë! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/16 "2017-09-23T02:00:21Z")
Which means: The day has come! Night is passing! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/17 "2017-09-23T02:20:48Z")
The morning comes and also the night. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/18 "2017-09-23T02:21:57Z")
“HTTP 404 Error” Actually, I just want to be cremated and my ashes spread on a golf course. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/19 "2017-09-23T02:27:29Z")
“The thin, light and portable tablet from Google. Moby Dick. Nexus 7. Buy now.” ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011/20 "2017-09-23T02:36:58Z")
Either, “Hey guys, watch this…” or “I told them I was sick”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-as-your-epitaph/797011.md?page=2)