Welcome to March! March is the middle child of the year. It’s often ignored when viewing the whole month family. It seems low profile and subtle. But much like your sheltered cousin Tanya, who discovered day-drinking Freshmen year- it can cause a ruckus. Rainstorms, tornadoes, bipolar temperatures, and the occasional snowstorm are all a part of its journey.
So let’s enjoy this month, but be prepared that this month can surprise us- much like Tanya’s firstborn.
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America Still Unable to Define What Counts as Funeral Attire
Franklin, Tennessee — America’s cultural divisions were brought into sharp focus again this week at the visitation for local man Dennis Rucker, where attendees found themselves split between two increasingly entrenched factions: Team Tie and Team Polo.
Team Tie, made up mostly of older men, deacons, and younger attendees raised with a healthy fear of public shame, maintained that a funeral remains one of the final places in American life where a man ought to wear a tie whether he likes it or not. Team Polo, a broader and less formally organized coalition, argued that a tucked in collared shirt, clean khakis, and decent shoes more than satisfy the basic demands of death. Their position, according to several members, was simple: this is not laziness. This is modern respect.
For the first twenty minutes, Team Polo felt confident. Several had coordinated around the same general formula of belt, polo, and the pair of loafers reserved for church, graduations, and “date night if we’re going somewhere that takes reservations.” But that confidence began to erode at approximately 4:17 p.m. when Dusty Hensley entered the building wearing jeans and a black T-shirt featuring three wolves howling at a blue moon.
Witnesses say the mood shifted immediately.
“You could actually see the panic move through the polo side of the room,” said funeral director Craig Hollis. “Because all of a sudden the issue was no longer whether they were slightly underdressed compared to Team Tie. The issue became whether they were participating in a broader collapse that ends, inevitably, with Dusty.”
Several members of Team Polo were seen quietly reassessing their own choices after Dusty signed the register with a pen attached to a fake fishing lure keychain and asked if the family was “doing a meal after this.” One man in a navy performance polo, who had spent most of the afternoon defending the idea that “a collar is a collar,” appeared especially shaken. “I just want to be clear that this is not what we meant,” he said, gesturing discreetly toward Dusty, whose shirt also included the phrase Legends Never Die. “We were talking about tasteful casual. Structured casual. We did not mean whatever happened there.”
The arrival reportedly strengthened Team Tie, whose members had until that point remained mostly silent. Sources confirm that at least three men standing near the front of the room exchanged the kind of brief, grim nod usually seen when people feel history has proven them right. “This is exactly how it starts,” said local resident Mark Blevins, adjusting a burgundy tie he has worn to every funeral since 1998. “First it’s polos. Then it’s quarter zips. Then one day a man named Dusty is standing in the chapel dressed like the memorial service is between trips to the gas station.”
Dusty, for his part, appeared unaware he had become the central figure in a national warning. When reached for comment, he stated that the wolf shirt was black, that the wolves were “kind of classy,” and that he had specifically avoided his sleeveless one out of respect for the family.
At press time, the nation remained divided, with Team Tie continuing to argue that standards exist for a reason, and Team Polo desperately trying to establish a clear and defensible boundary between “modern funeral attire” and “becoming Dusty.”
Ask the Funeral Dude!
Question:
Hey Funeral Dude, is there a respectful way to hide in the hallway when a family friend starts singing an unexpected second verse? -Mr.HidenSeek
Answer:
Mr.HidenSeek,
Absolutely. The key is to move with purpose. You cannot look like a man fleeing the sound of grief in C major. You need to look like a professional being suddenly called to something important and vaguely clipboard-related.
The best move is the slow hallway drift. Start with a solemn nod, glance toward the back like you’ve just remembered a pressing operational detail, then ease out of the room with the expression of a man protecting the dignity of the service. Never run. Running says, “I reject this rendition.” A measured walk says, “There are unseen matters requiring my attention.”
Just be warned. The danger is reentering too early and discovering they have launched into a surprise third verse. That’s how good funeral directors become hallway specialists.
You Otter Be Proud
Here’s some good news going on in the profession.
- This Milford nonprofit helps families with high funeral costs
- People Magazine Covers Funeral Profession Story
- Fifth-generation funeral director Jeff Monreal helps families grieve, celebrate loved ones
