So why should these people care?
by
IanMas515
10/30/2009, 9:52 AM #
I've done alot of genealogical research on my family. I started to find since I had many deceased members that It would be easier to find vital records to complete the research. I've used Findagrave.com many times to learn new facts and add different items to my records. There are some people that I never knew but I had their personal possessions. In one instance someone had taken a picture of my great grandfathers grave in Suburban NJ. I was thrilled! This person that my mom and my dad (Before he died) talked about was right there.
In this culture we eschew anything painful and tough. We have pet insurance for our pets. We have botox for ourselves. And there are even services where people will stand in line at an event for us. Death is the ultimate hard lesson for us to understand. As a society we want to bury Grandma and forget her. Death is painful, hard, and ultimately inconvenient to us the living. So it is no suprise that the writer of the story (although there is no animosity in the story, the headline makes it clear) that he views his subjects with contempt. I believe this is bourne out of the conceit that we as a culture don't care about the dead, cemeteries, or headstones. So why should these people care?
Although I'm not a 'graver' but I have taken photos in one distant cemetary for my wife's family of her ancestors. For me I find it comforting to know that someone cares. That someone around who will notice and actually care about the memory of our kin that we've found it much easier to forget.
