Loss is hard. Whether it’s a loved one, a dear friend, or someone barely in the periphery of your life who you’re dying vicariously through, with loss, there is always a primal desire for one more day with your loved one. But that day is not about you. It’s for them. Which is exactly why I’m scattering my dad’s ashes at SopranosCon.
Bada bing! Right in the heart of the beautiful Atlantic City New Jersey Convention Center is where I intend to scatter my father’s ashes and hope his soul can finally find peace.
Not to mention, since dad passed my siblings and I have felt strained and detached from one another. Maybe a day at Sop-Con will bring us back together. God, Dad loved the Sopranos so much. I rarely saw the man smile except when Pauly Walnuts or Big Pussy were on that TV screen crackin’ wise. Which is why I don’t care what the rest of my family thinks, these ashes are getting scattered all over that hotel floor.
Watching The Sopranos was a way of life for my dad. It made him feel proud to be an Italian American from the Garden State. So much so that he never let the fact he was only an eighth Italian stop him. Just like I never let the fact that stealing his urn was a crime stop me from scooping this bad boy up mid-service.
I don’t know how or when, but it’s happening. I think Michael Imperioli will be there doing a Q&A live podcast recording! Should I ask him to help me? Should I get up on the stage and throw the ashes into the crowd?
Maybe I’ll hold the urn during all the sweet photo ops I’ll have with Dominic Chianese and the like. Hey, maybe my story will get me some free Vinnie Pastore sauce too!
I feel like I really got an “in” here. I could be a part of Sopranos history! I’m really excited to spend this weekend enjoying the VIP Deluxe Suite Family Package I used my dad’s life insurance to splurge on. All in the spirit of honoring my pop, of course.
Even though nothing will ever bring dad back, this memory will dull the constant pain of knowing my negligence may be the reason dad is no longer with us. But since that’s not something I’m ready to process yet, fuggedaboutit!