I don’t know if it’s just me (it may be just me) but there’s something about writing my own obituary that cheers me up. Whenever I am sick, on a long and grueling hike, or am waiting in line at the Department of Licensing, the first line of an obituary springs into my head:

“Precocious young writer Langley Hyde…”

(Maybe someday I’ll have to chance that first line. Maybe not.)

Here are a few of my obituaries:

Precocious young writer Langley Hyde died this afternoon while waiting at the Departm...