This obituary was written as a self discovery exercise. The idea was to express how I would like to be remembered as a stimulus for evoking those qualities in the present. The result was an idealized self that I would like to have been. Added emphasis appears in red:

William M. Taggart

9/28/35 - ??/??/??

William Taggart's body died last week, but his spirit continues its search elsewhere. In this life he expressed a natural, integrated way of living. Bill responded appropriately to the ebb and flow of happenings in his career and family. His integrated nature was shown by adapting to changing situations both in the large and small things of life.

Bill's friends noticed how well he blended the outer nature of his conscious ego with the inner nature of his unconscious self. This blend of the inner and outer recognized the "good" and "bad" in him, accepting one as much as the other. Similarly Bill accepted others for who they were without judging them.

As each year passed, he expressed a more complete Personality. By accepting all parts of himself, Bill related harmoniously with what was going on around him. As the Personality continued to emerge, his life style exhibited more "work" in his play and more "play" in his work. He said that the distinction between the two was artificial.

His friends say that Bill appeared to have achieved a "satisfied" life. That is one that was not marked by either happiness or sadness. Rather than seeking some external ideal, he tried each day to be more true to himself. This was most noticeable for him as an individual. This attitude also extended to his family and friends whom he encouraged to be themselves. In the larger community, Bill shared his personal discoveries with others so that they might find some "satisfaction" too.

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