Death Cafe Kingston
A write up of Death Cafe @ Stanley Picker Gallery
By neda
Yesterday, July 16th 2015 at 6 p.m. I attended a death café at the Stanley Picker Gallery in Kingston and it was the first one hosted by Oreet Ashery & Korina Giaxoglou. There was 10 of us round the table including the 2 facilitators. There was, of course, tea and cake. The facilitators introduced themselves and explained a bit about their own interest in death and then asked us to do the same. By the time we settled in, a good 40 minutes had passed. We talked for a good hour on the subject of death, spirituality, what happens when we die and our expectations from this life. The atmosphere was relaxed but the conversation was heavy. A couple of people made some very profound statements and this is not their exact words but my take on what they were trying to convey. I hope I do them justice:
‘we never remember when we were born and we are more likely to remember the moments leading to your death. It’s ironic then, that we won’t be around to recall those moments’.
‘when you read back what you’ve written, sometimes it doesn’t feel like you any more. And when you become aware of your own mortality you realize you’re not you any more’.
‘it’s true that we live in a culture here where death is not discussed. I’ve noticed that the process of birth is also a topic that is not discussed, and is treated as a very private affair’.
‘If you wanted to carry on living as an avatar, what aspect of yourself would you choose to leave behind?’
It wasn’t all deep stuff. There were moments where we all laughed at a joke or comment and this wasn’t my first death café but it was a different and equally worthwhile experience from my first experience earlier this year.
It was a lot heavier than I expected it and I found myself eating a huge chunck of cake when we stopped for a break. After the break we talked about meditation, doing or being and if you could do without being and vice versa.
‘5 ways I'd like to be before I die’
Nevertheless, I walked away at the end of the evening feeling lighter, and somewhat inspired. That feeling has carried into my day today.