Have you ever looked at a grave stone and noticed the small dash between the two dates?

 This dash represents life, the life of the person remembered on that grave stone and buried underneath.

Here in the western world, we tend to live about 80-85 years, on a planet that has been here for 4.5 billion years, in a universe that may have been here for 13.5 billion years.

That dash between two dates represents a portion of time infinitely less that one grain of sand among all the grains of sand on earth. Those of us who think that dash represents something significant are plain wrong.

In the scheme of things, it's nothing and just 100 years from now, no one will remember that dash ever existed. The tombstone may not even exist.

 But there are some people who try to extend the impact of their dash by including a memorable epitaph on their grave stone.

Here are some of my favourites:

• When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one. (Gay Vietnam veteran Leonard Matlovich)
• There goes the neighbourhood (Comedian Rodney Dangerfield)
• Johnny Yeast lies here. Excuse me for not rising (Johnny Yeast)
• That's all folks! (Mel Blanc, Looney Tunes voice actor)
• I’m a writer, but then nobody's perfect (Writer, actor and producer Billy Wilder)
• Let 'er rip! (Comedian and actor Leslie Neilsen) 
• He never killed a man that did not need killing (Gunslinger Robert Clay Allison)
• If you can read this, you are standing on my boobs (Janet M)
• I was hoping for a pyramid (unknown)
• My loss, but your gain (Joel Dermid)
• Raised four beautiful daughters with only one bathroom and still there was love (unknown)
• Now I know something you don’t (unknown)
• Here lies an atheist, all dressed up with nowhere to go (unknown)
• We finally found a place to park in Georgetown (Sterling Hollshead Ivison Jnr)

 I love them all!

Do you have a favourite?

What would you like on your grave stone?

I am not sure what will be on mine. I am not sure I want a grave stone. But in case I do have one, I am leaning towards "when you are gone, you are gone!''