Walking behind Uconn with my class was eye opening. Vibrant, new, massive apartment buildings, a quaint church with stained glass, and an abandoned art gallery. These three structures surround an abandoned cemetery. The cemetery is forgotten, overgrown, uncared for. Does the same go for the people buried? My Grandmother used to tell me that when you die, your spirit lives on forever in people's minds.
Although a comforting thought for those of us still alive, the sight of this forgotten cemetery was a bone chilling slap in the face of reality. The people buried here are forgotten. Was the purpose of the surrounding buildings to hide the cemetery? I struggled to come to terms with the layout of this city block. Is there no respect for the deceased when it comes to making money? Is money more important than those that people loved and cherished? The reality is, man is greedy, and in a society where monetary things are valued above interpersonal connection, the decision that makes the most money will likely win out.
While walking through the overgrown plant 'walkway', we gathered around the edge of the cemetery, or so we thought. Looking down I noticed that I was standing on top of someone's gravestone, how rude of me. I was in shock. First I questioned myself, how did I not notice that I was standing on somebody's gravestone? But then I thought, this gravestone is covered in dirt, sticks, debris, etc, where is the care? When was the last time this person's family member came to visit them? I didn’t notice any epitaph on the gravestone, or relatives buried close by. It wasn't until my drive home later that night that I realized, everyone is forgotten at some point, and that realization led me to want to live my life with purpose and ambition, because at some point it doesn't matter, and I refuse to waste my life doing nothing.
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