The Art of Manliness #443: What Building Your Own Coffin Teaches You About Life, Death, and Meaning
Sep 24, 2018
Writer David Giffels recounts building a coffin with his father, reflecting on life lessons. They discuss Rust Belt loyalty, sports resilience, and the profound experience of coffin-building. Exploring themes of aging, mortality, and family bonds, the conversation touches on near victories in sports, Ohio humor, and navigating midlife challenges.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
A Marriage Argument Became A Coffin
- David Giffels began building his coffin after joking with his wife about extravagant funerals and cardboard boxes.
- His master-craftsman father made the project appealing as an inexpensive, unusual father-son activity.
When A Coffin Project Met Real Grief
- David expected to explore mortality through writing, but his mother and best friend died during the project.
- Their deaths transformed a whimsical construction project into an intimate confrontation with grief and mortality.
Carpentry Gave Grief Somewhere To Go
- Building the coffin gave David a tangible task while grief remained chaotic and incomprehensible.
- Working beside his aging father offered comfort without requiring either man to discuss mortality directly.