While most of my work with the obituaries involves simply editing and formatting them, occasionally I'm called upon to write one.

This is generally something I try to avoid like the plague.

It's simple, really. I'm a self-involved 20-something who's too preoccupied with everything from my ability to make rent to -- I'll admit it -- the merits of the Marc Jacobs dress worn in the latest "Gossip Girl" episode to sincerely contemplate my own mortality.

I have respect for the dead. Which is actually part of the reason why I try not to be the one writing an obit.

Click here to read why ...

An obituary is a tiny version of someone's entire life story. In many people's cases, it is the only time that story will be written down in any comprehensive way.

Thus, I really don't think obituaries should ever be written by some no-name editor with a lot of deadlines and little life perspective.

But it happens, nonetheless. I gather information on education, career, likes and dislikes. And with a paper that runs obits free of charge but subject to editing, it's not like I have room to be creative. I follow a form. I package people. "Arrangements by such-and-such funeral home" lines are stamped on the end like "Made in China" stickers, and off the obit is sent to be printed.

Because of this cookie-cutter process, obituaries start sounding like postmortem personal ads to me. "He was romantic, honest and loved eating out. In his spare time, he enjoyed taking long walks on the beach. He was seeking someone who could work hard and play hard. He was a Scorpio." (You can practically play Yenta and match up the singles.)

During my first month on the job, I stumbled across a set of obituary guidelines from the 1950s which stated that "a good obituary should make the reader want to get to know the subject."

Even though it might help to break the mold, I find that concept kind of disturbing -- or at the very least, useless. To me, getting to know them is a bit of a moot point. They're dead.

But this is coming from a self-absorbed 20-something. So lately I've been trying to, well, get to know people.