Cemetery

I went for a walk today up Mont-Royal, through the cemetery behind it, and over to l'Oratoire Saint-Joseph. I was caught off guard by the thoughts I ended up having when I got to the cemetery.

I had assumed the cemetery would be a tranquil place. I thought I would have interesting thoughts there. I was however overwhelmed with thoughts that all raged around a single theme: it's sheer uselessness and extravagance.

The first issue is the size of the cemetery. It is easily bigger than the actual Mont-Royal park. Row upon row of headstones and monuments scatter the land. It is a beautiful park with majestic trees and filled with the sounds of insects and birds.

In spite of beauty all I can see there is row upon row of dead persons egos attempting to use up space in the world. The more money they had at death, the more space they take up now. It was easy to see that thousands of dollars had been spent on each and every headstone, meaning that millions of dollars of work were lining the area. But it is a futile attempt at attention. There is such a cacophony of headstone that there no rest, they all beg to be seen, but together they negate each others purpose.

And than I think of the value of the land. While I wouldn't suggest building on the land, I would hope it could be put to a more redeeming purpose. The whole enterprise seems like a horrible trick to take the money of those who die by renting them out a little plot of land.

In a world with six billion people, it would be insane to allow everyone such a luxury as to be buried. It feels like a last, selfish act which serves no one any purpose. What finally makes me most frustrated about the cemetery is that it is protect by the mystical forces of being "sacred" land. Any attempt to get rid of them will be thwarted.

The living should have precedence over the dead. Be thoughtful when you die. Donate your body to those who can use it. Donate your money to a worthy cause. If you want yourself to live on past your life, allow your work to live on. Allow your children to live on. Allow your influence to live on. But whatever you do, don't leave the world with another useless plot of land and another headstone.

Kyler

P.S. I wish not to anger the living who use the cemetery as a place for remembrance and to grieve. These are definite needs that need to be filled, but I don't think cemeteries need to be the only option. A creative mind can think up thousands of more personal and effective alternatives.