Hosted by Maggie Boone Tribout

This Death Cafe has taken place

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About this Death Cafe

I have had a lot of personal experience with death in the past few years. I lost everyone in my immediate family, including my husband, except one sister who is severly mentally ill so one might say I have lost her too.

When I had the opportunity to teach Death and Dying, I was surprised to hear that a lot of the professors at the college were not comfortable with teaching the class and that so many students dreaded the class and it was all because of fear! I stumbled across the Death Cafe' while looking for interesting takes on death for my class. After reading and joining the Death Cafe', I realized I had the opportunity to open up dialogue on death to students and the community I live in and provide a place where an open discussion could be held and dispell some of the fear which would then allow them to really understand death was going to happen and instead of worrying about it, enjoy the time they have. I guess you could say it would allow people to change up their priorities and appreciate the here and now.

When I mentioned it to a friend who owns a unique little Cafe' right in mid-town Belleville, she offered to allow me to host a Death Cafe' there. Since posting flyers, there has been a lot of people who expressed interest in having one and attending.

I also did a survey at Southwestern Illinois College to around 40 students and the responses were encouraging as 22 of them believed a Death Cafe' would be something they would attend whereas the rest (also interesting) felt that it was too morbid and didn't think one should be held.

About Maggie Boone Tribout

Currently a professor at Southwestern Illinois College, teaching a variety of psychology courses including Death and Dying and at the University of Phoenix, online faculty member teaching Psychological tests and measurements. Contract trainer for CASA of Southwestern Illinois - CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates for abused and neglected children in the foster care system. I train the advocates to be the voice for these children and the eyes and ears for the judge.