Cemetery Haunting

Constructed in 1857 and designed by John Wood, the Woodland Cemetery in Quincy, Illinois is one of the more intriguing cemeteries I've haunted recently. It overlooks the Mississippi River from the bluff on which Quincy is set. The view is wonderful.



Oh ...... you didn't know that one of my favorite pastimes was haunting old cemeteries? How long have I known you?

Yesterday afternoon found me creeping around Woodland with my camera while listening to Marschner's "Der Vampyr" on NPR radio. Really, does it get any better than that?



Well anyway, I got to thinking about why it is that cemeteries have always attracted me. When I was growing up there was a large cemetery about 6 blocks from my home. In those days kids were allowed to run around at night, stay at others' houses, camp in our backyards ...... you name it. We weren't so paranoid back then that there was a child molester hiding around every corner. Now we hear news from all over the world, news that every day tells us we are not safe. How can this not have affected our sense of being safe in our own space?



But I digress. As a child, along with my friends, we used to run through this cemetery at night. We would continually fascinate ourselves with the one above ground "tomb" of cement, trying to dislodge the lid. Which, of course, we couldn't. There was a crack in the corner of it, however, and this made us believe that somehow, some day, we would surely be able to slide that 500 pound lid over just far enough so that we could have a peek inside. This was the extent of our attempt at vandalism, at which we were dismal failures.

Well there was one other little thing, but that's a different BLOG.

When my daughters were young we used to pick up sandwiches and park in the middle of a cemetery for our picnic. This could explain the way they turned out, perhaps. Hmmmm. Nevertheless, it was always a peaceful outing. Rarely is anyone trampling through a cemetery with their barking, pooping and peeing dogs. I like that about cemeteries.



Other than the errant young vandal, seldom do you find anyone being disrespectful in a cemetery. I imagine that we still, as a society, respect the spiritual and for that I'm thankful.



So what is it about cemeteries? Fear of the unknown? Our craving for the mysterious? The intrigue of the "other worldly"? Or is it the feeling that we are playing with fire, with things we don't understand and which pump our adrenaline a bit faster, make us feel slightly more alive by contrast with the peacefulness following death?



I know there are many who dislike the thought of cemeteries or viewing them. It seems to me that were we to more readily accept that death is part of life we would find the passage through our lives into old age more acceptable. Rather than trying to always look younger and avoid thoughts of what it means to be old, would we be more at peace with the knowledge of old age and death were we to allow ourselves more contact with them?



My Dad's death was a heavy blow for me emotionally. When Dad was showing signs that he might not be around on this plane much longer I asked him if he cold try to contact me from the other side. He said he would "have to think about it." Har. To my knowledge he hasn't done so yet ......... but then again I have noticed that this past winter I've seen so many more hawks, eagles and what I call the "God sky" ...... I have to wonder if maybe he isn't having something to do with that.



There isn't anything about Woodland Cemetery that isn't intriguing. From the old grave markers which are in disrepair and falling down the bluff, to the "City Vault", built into the hillside and now housing seemingly the castoffs of the cemetery, the place has a feel of calm solitude.



Next time I think I'll bring a bottle of wine to share and sip it under one of the incredible cemetery trees providing shelter for the still living. I highly recommend a trip through the oldest cemetery you can find, reading the names and dates and giving blessings to those who have passed this way before.



Namasté

Who has come a long way?

I got to thinking the other afternoon about Sarah Palin and O.J. Simpson. Not that there is any connection. Well other than societal and political issues o' the day. Let's throw Mr. McCain into this mix now, too. Now that he has given veracity to the shouts of "terrorist" coming from his supporters. That would be aimed at Barack Obama, of course. Barack Obama is a terrorist. That's the Republicans' new chant. And yes, this actually did occur, and John McCain said nothing. NOTHING.

Does it occur to us that these three people are setting us back decades in our race relations, decades back in Feminism and ........... well, about as far back as yesterday where older middle aged white men are concerned. But there you see my own prejudice slipping below my skirt an inch or two.

If there ever was a time for good public manners to reappear it would be now. If there ever was a time for good people to speak out, it is now. Now is the time for all good women (and men) to come to the aid of their country. For the first time since the Revolutionary War we need ....... no we MUST have good people stand up and say this is enough. We've had enough. If you can't speak publicly then do it with your vote. No one of sound mind and heart can vote for someone who allows his opponent to be called a terrorist. No one of sound mind and heart can vote for a woman to be our Vice President who must read from note cards in order to have anything of substance to say, and even then she gets her facts wrong.

O.J. managed to divide the nation by color. The Republicans AND the Democrats had a chance to bring the country together, finally, in support of a woman running for high political office. Instead they threw Sarah Palin into the mix for all the wrong reasons. John McCain could have proven that even white life-long politicians can resist appealing to the lowest common denominator with his campaign ......... but he didn't.

There will always be the Rush Limbaugh fans and Howard Stern fans out there amongst the most insecure of our society. The ones who must lower themselves to a state of prejudice and hatred in order to feel their own "power."

It's time to publicly reject these attitudes. Time to bring back good manners and gentlemanliness. Time to rise above bad language, hateful insinuation, acceptance via omission of people who shout "terrorist" and appealing to the lowest of human nature in order to garner votes for a failing campaign. In fact it's time to raise society to a higher level in general. A higher spiritual plane on which we view each other with a gentility that has been largely left unused for decades.

I hadn't intended this BLOG to morph into a treatise of a spiritual nature. But since I've ended up at this point, please refer to this link to read the BLOGS of Deepak Chopra, who has it way over me where it comes to spiritual issues and most everything else for that matter:

http://www.myspace.com/deepakchopra

It's time for change and not just political change, although a vote for Barack Obama is a vote for societal change, also. It's time for all good people to step up and demand something better.