‘Bank Vault’
Ernest recalls a slogan associated with a brand of watches. He fills that the slogan is ridiculous. The slogan reads, “Three Hundred Meters Depth, Bulletproof Glass: Safe as a Bank Vault." The smile of a 'bank vault' is intended to underscore the watch's safety. The ideal target for such overhyped watches would be millionaires who associate status with costly watches.
Soldiers
Ernest visualizes police officers' preparations for their deaths. He states, "I also assume cops sit in patrol cars and have "if I die" conversations, like soldiers folding friends' letters into breast pockets, so who knows?" Soldiers and cops undertake risky assignments. Some lose their lives in the course of their duties. Accordingly, they are expected to decide how their bodies should be handled once they die. Being in risky work environments increases their consciousness of inevitable death.
“Film Set”
Ernest likens his father’s memorial to a film set due to the business that characterizes it. He narrates, “It was a busy funeral, more like a film set buzzing with activity than a reverential chapel." So many activities took place at the time, and he felt that he and his brother were in a bubble. Photographers added to the buzz because they were all over the church where the memorial was taking place.
