Visiting the cemetery was something I always dreaded doing. I didn't want to see, nor feel the presence of death. Throughout this unit my mind and thoughts have been altered in a way. At the end of this unit I have gained knowledge which has put my mind at ease about the idea of death. What better way to test this then go visit not one cemetery but two.
The first cemetery I went to visit was St Michael's cemetery which was in Astoria Queens. This cemetery was public but also was a huge cemetery. The mood when i got there was the typical cemetery mood. It was rainy and quiet. While walking around and reading people’s tombstones In a way I felt as if I was being disrespectful. I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea of all the people that where buried under my feet and the idea of walking on their graves. Even though i had this idea in the back of my mind I felt that their loved ones buried them here to be remembered. I came to this conclusion because of the messages on their tombstones and the flowers, pictures, and decorations around so many of the tombstones.
The next and final cemetery I decided to visit was in downtown manhattan by Brooklyn bridge; Trinity cemetery. Trinity was more of a small cemetery which didn't have more then 150 people buried compared to the thousands buried at St Michael's. The mood here was nothing like St Michael's. One because it was in the middle of a busy community which was drowned out by noises such as car horns and loud chatter. The factor that stood out the most to me were the mood’s of the other people who were visiting the cemetery. People were more at ease, joking, and even small children running and playing around.
After visiting these two cemeteries I was able to notice that not every cemetery is alike. Not every cemetery is like the one's you see in movies. Cemeteries don’t have to be a place of mourning and grief but can be a place of happiness, acceptance, and remembrance.
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