berkeleying bagpipes

I went to the funeral of an old friend this AM. I hadn't seen him in several years but I've been friends with he and his wife since the early 90s. I got the call on Tuesday. He had just retired from 25 years of service with the PA State Police. He was 49, fit, and he dropped stone dead in his kitchen three days ago. No warning - Time's up.

There were hundreds of uniformed troopers, friends and family. A bus load of students from the school where he coached. A full honor guard. A literal gauntlet of uniforms to walk to pay respects to his family. It was a long mass and a short drive to the grave-side in the largest funeral procession I've ever seen led by a fleet of State Police cruisers. Through all of that, and even Taps on a real bugle, I didn't shed a tear.

Then the berkeleying bagpiper played that infernal instrument. And I broke like a wave hitting the beach. I was supposed to go back to work this afternoon but I'm sitting on my deck staring at the fall leaves and reflecting on the sand in my own hour glass. I don't like reflection. It's uncomfortable to know how much time you've wasted. I blame that berkeleying bagpiper for it and if I'm sure of anything it's that there will be one ruining everyone's E36 M3 at my wake.

RIP Ken.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

I confess that seeing you start a thread about berkeleying bagpipes, I did not know what to expect but presumed it would be more literal.

At my grandfather-in-law's funeral he had a small honor guard (WWII vet) and a lone piper. After the honor guard did their thing the piper started "Amazing Grace", played a minute or two, then slowly walked away and over the crest of the hill, the sound of the pipes gently fading away. Not a dry eye in the house.

I'm sorry for your loss, and the bagpipes. They make for an emotional event.

I'm sorry for your loss. That's a tough one for sure.

Sorry for your loss.

At my grandfathers funeral, we had two Privates out for a flag folding ceremony since Grandpa was so proud of the shrapnel in his shin. It was extremely hard to keep it together. Then, they handed the flag to my uncle (grandpa's oldest; grandma had already passed). My uncle, clearly not expecting it, took it and immediately passed it to my great uncle--my grandpa's only sibling. My great uncle is in a scooter (Polio), but is a tough old guy who was raised in Chicago and a mechanic at Chevrolet before opening his shop. He hadn't even shown a hint of a tear all day. He gets the flag in his hand, lip starts to tremble, and it all comes out. And anyone who wasn't already, was then.

That was what ultimately broke me down. If there was a bagpipe I don't think we would have made it through the ceremony.

Those kind of things are tough. I'm sorry for your loss.

My uncle was a sherif. Hearing the final call from the dispatcher across the dozens of radios in the funeral home was tipping point for myself and damn near everyone in the room. That was nearly 10 years ago and I still tear up thinking about it.

Sorry for your loss, sounds like a rough one

My buddy's dad's funeral a couple months ago was a hard one for me. His was a very long, very slow decline that saw him spend the final nearly four years of his life bedridden. What got me all choked up before even getting into the church was seeing all the old pictures of him, standing about 6'5, nearly double his final weight, wearing his trademark Grizzly Adams beard, barely hiding a nefarious smirk. It felt like he'd been gone for years

I think I would rather go suddenly.

I hate funerals. I am a very sentimental person and I tear up easily.

Then Taps and bag pipes make me almost sob along with the tears.

Sorry for your loss. Sounds like Ken was a really good guy to have so many people come out so say goodbye.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. Sometimes it's the smallest things that give us a true appreciation for life.

People love to mock them but that keening is right on target sometimes. Now I'm maudlin for the only friend I had that could play the pipes. I miss you, you weirdo!!

When I lived in Lauderdale, we were across the street from a major cemetery. There would occasionally be for vets, cops, officials where they would play the pipes. I had no idea who it was for but still teared up at that sound.

Bagpipers get me every time. My grandma was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on a freezing cold day, it had just snowed and iced a bit. It was so eerily quiet during her graveside, when I heard a 21 gun salute in the distance along with a faint bagpiper playing, It's summarily burned into my brain.

Sorry for your loss. It is amazing how some things just click in you. My mom passed when my oldest was 6 weeks old. At her funeral I was doing OK until this song was played: I was there to hear your borning cry. She had been battling cancer for 3 years but had gone into remission and was well enough to travel and be in the room when her first grandchild was born so the lyrics of that song really hit home. Now whenever I hear it I still tear up, even after 13 years.

Hang in there, have some bourbon, and enjoy your family.

I am sorry for your loss. I view the bagpipes as a healing tool- they help trigger the tears to begin the healing process.

I'll just leave this here.

Spock's Funeral

sitting here reading this tread and i am crying just thinking about things that are in the past. sorry to about anyone that has ever lost someone.