It is sobering to consider one’s demise and where we’ll end up. I prefer a humorous approach inspired by some fabulous celebrity headstones, proof that humor never dies. There is the simple humor of Jack Lemmon:
Or one’s final sign-off, like Jackie Gleason:
And the self-deprecating type, like Rodney Dangerfield:
Since I’m a firm believer that climate change is warming our Earth, I’ve asked my loved ones, if they choose to bury me, to inscribe on my headstone, “It’s cooler down here.”
In your own marketing efforts, make sure you review and think twice before hitting “Send.” Have one or two other sets of eyes review the content and to ensure it’s not offensive, especially if you use humor to make a point or stimulate engagement. With images, inspect both the foreground and especially the background. You don’t want to end up on one of those “pictures gone horribly wrong” sites. Use plain, simple language that’s easy to understand. It’s hard today not to offend someone, but if it happens and you receive a hostile complaint, answer it respectfully and with attrition – the high road, if you will.
I like using ironic or self-effacing humor, if it is used at all. Share it with a couple of people first to make sure it’s as funny as you think. The timing of when you send can be sensitive, too. Be mindful of current events.
And finally, I suggest that if a local cemetery comes to you to rent your restaurant and conduct a free burial planning luncheon, kindly decline. After all, you put holes in the ground, too.