I've always loved cemeteries. Sometimes in high school, I would just go to the cemetery and read or lay in the cool grass and look at the clouds. Having just spent the weekend in Arlington Cemetery, just south of Washington, D.C., I was once again overcome with the depth and emotion I always feel, but this time I was surrounded by my friends, all of whom rarely go to cemeteries. They also felt the emotion that I felt, but I also know that many people don't fully appreciate everything that cemeteries are and what they mean to me. This is why I decided to write an article that will hopefully persuade you to spend more time in the place that we will all eventually come to rest in.
1. Cemeteries are peaceful.
Who doesn’t need a peaceful place to go and gather their thoughts every once and a while? We all need those moments, and sometimes finding a quiet place where you can clear your head is fairly difficult. However, cemeteries provide the perfect environment for finding serene clarity. There are always lovely places to sit while enjoying the delicious breeze and the solitude of the silent stones surrounding you.
2. Cemeteries have some of the best walking routes.
Whether you’re in the mood for a soothing stroll, or you’re finding a route for your daily jog, cemeteries can be the perfect place for you to let off the appropriate amount of steam. Trees lining the rows of stones provide adequate shade, and the commonly desolate paths and roads provide a much safer environment than the ordinary street.
3. Cemeteries are great places to meet new people.
I can’t explain it, but for some reason, people in cemeteries always seem more personable. I’ve been wandering through a cemetery before and struck up conversations with the most random people. Maybe cemeteries make us realize that the time we have is sacred and we should be using every moment to connect with our fellow humans.
4. Cemeteries are filled with untapped knowledge.
Maybe it’s just the history nerd in me, but I can’t walk into a cemetery without feeling, in someway, like I’ve gone back in time. Glancing at the tomb stones and realizing that the people in the ground before you have a connection with the place your standing, but that they lived on a whole other timeline in a whole other world is a thought altogether sobering and mind-blowing.
5. Cemeteries encapsulate the overall meaning of what it is to be human.
Think about this. No matter what you do, no matter who you are, and no matter how much wealth you have we all have the same eventuality and the same destination. Our entire lives work is summed up in the beauty of a single white stone. The mistakes we made in our lives are forgotten, and we can finally rest in enteral peace knowing the struggle of life has ended.
6. The dead deserve the respect of the living.
Following up on the previous point, our entire lives will one day be reduced down to the emblem of a single stone. I would like to spend every moment of every day in a cemetery contemplating the meaning of stories and depth of life of every single deceased. Once my life is over, I can only hope that some person, somewhere attributes as much time thinking and wondering about the time I once spent on this simple earth.
