I grew up in an older city in New York State with a beautiful Victorian cemetery that was definitely intended as a picnic site. Long after it fell out of fashion to have parties there on Sundays, everyone still went on tours of the beautiful older sections and freely wandered around the newer sections still currently in active use. When my Girl Scouts troupe went on our guided tour Mt. Hope Cemetery, one of the nice features pointed out to us was the beautiful drinking fountain in one of the popular picnic areas.
Can I ask what city this woman is writing to you from? I'm guessing it must be someplace with less history where she may not have learned that this used to be an absolutely normal, mainstream, and respectful use of cemeteries. Come to think of it, it seems like everyone I knew back East hung out in cemeteries at least now and then, no one ever left a mess or caused any trouble there. If anything, it's considered a nice way to keep the dead present in our lives, and to gently remind us "in the midst of life we are in death." I guess most people don't do that so much in some places, do they? I think she does have a valid concern, but it's just because she's ignorant.
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Date: 2009-07-13 11:36 pm (UTC)Can I ask what city this woman is writing to you from? I'm guessing it must be someplace with less history where she may not have learned that this used to be an absolutely normal, mainstream, and respectful use of cemeteries. Come to think of it, it seems like everyone I knew back East hung out in cemeteries at least now and then, no one ever left a mess or caused any trouble there. If anything, it's considered a nice way to keep the dead present in our lives, and to gently remind us "in the midst of life we are in death." I guess most people don't do that so much in some places, do they? I think she does have a valid concern, but it's just because she's ignorant.