Jim’s Final Trip

Tom, Linley, Janet, and I witnessed the final trip of James L. Acord. The memorial (March 12) is probably a better way to remember Jim and his life, but it was important to us that we be there when he was cremated, and so we attended him one last time.

We put the following into the box with James for his final trip (cremation): A hand rolled cigarette of his own tobacco; some sage and wheat from Richland; a picture of Push Button, a cat he loved and who loved him back; a picture from Jake that Jim had hung in his apartment and another picture from Jake’s sister Evelyn; a book of Jim’s on loan to Tom, *Suttree* by Cormac McCarthy; and Jim’s Zeitgeist coffee punch card.

The crematorium had a much more industrial aesthetic than I anticipated. I think Jim would have appreciated it. It was an austere space with 20′ high ceilings. The massive furnace dominated the space; Jim’s box was tiny in comparison. We all said goodbye, hugged each other and cried.