Walking in an Old Cemetery Is an Eerie Experience

Here comes a rather macabre admission:  I love cemeteries.

It's a strange fetish inherited from my late mother.  Whenever we'd travel to a new place, she'd almost inevitably ask, "Where's the cemetery?"

Cemeteries can be fascinating places, filled with history. Old tombstones often have thought-provoking messages that make a "living" bystander think.

As luck would have it, every day, recently,  I've had the opportunity to drive by an old New England cemetery, established in 1781,  that was actually added to the National Historic Register in 2000.  It's no longer used for burials and, unfortunately, by the looks of its condition, not much is being done for its upkeep, except that the grass is neatly cut.  Many of the stones, as seen in the photos, look like they are ready to fall over entirely. 

One afternoon, camera in hand, I pulled my car over to the side of the road and ventured into the cemetery which is located near some woods in a small New England town. It felt very strange walking amid the old tombstones, many of which have become very crooked. It was kind of creepy.

I wanted to read some of the inscriptions but age and bad weather have pretty much obliterated the lettering which was terribly disappointing. After all, it would be quite interesting to know who is buried here.

On a positive note, someone added new American flags, probably to the graves of those who served this country in the military.

One marker indicated that a baby had died at age 10 days. Reading about that little life that ended too soon filled me with compassion for the parents who had been left behind. Who were they and how did they bear the grief of losing their little one?  How did the baby die?  Was it from influenza or typhoid fever? Those questions will never be answered.

As I walked among the graves, the sky was overcast. I couldn't help but digress and think how quickly life goes by.  Way over to one side of the graveyard, almost in the woods, were several markers, probably of an entire family who is no more.

To tell the truth, I was glad to get back into my car and drive away. May all those souls rest in peace. Meanwhile, it's sheer happiness to still be very much alive!

WOULD YOU WALK THROUGH A CEMETERY AT NIGHT?