Selling Point

Did that decorative flag in front of the cemetery really say OPEN?

And just what did OPEN mean?  Was the cemetery open for visiting hours so that the living could spend time at the grave of a loved one or was the office open to receive prospective customers? And just what constituted a prospective customer - someone needing to find a place of internment for the recently departed or someone who's just received unwelcome news from their doctor.

Which got me to wondering... If my doctor told me I had only a short time left, would I really want to spend any of that time looking for the perfect to rest forever? For that matter would I want to invest any substantial time in looking for the ideal piece of real estate for a loved one?  After all, a hole is a hole.

As I got closer to the OPEN flag my musings were cut short. Immediately next to the cemetery entrance was a second drive. It was this other drive that the flag was marking - announcing the florist at the end of the lane was open for business.

I couldn't help but wonder if the cemetery and florist were run by the same person. Perhaps the proprietor gets customers in the door by selling them flowers then suggests that the bereavement basket would look quite nice on one of the plots next door... when the time came.