Recently, I spent a Saturday afternoon in Oakland Cemetery, located in Atlanta. Not just because I’m weird and morbid, shut up! I’m basing a decent section of an upcoming novel in Oakland. So this counts as research. Also you should try visiting the necropolis in the heart of the metropolis.

This is your greeter.

Oakland Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Atlanta and is the home of Margaret Mitchell, former mayors, governors, and senators. The six acres that were set aside in 1850 for the Atlanta Cemetery have indeed blossomed. Not only is it a large plot of land, some of the monuments and tombstones are absolutely beautiful. A lot of amazing architecture can be found within the brick walls. While strolling through the grounds, one will also find landscaping that is not traditional for a cemetery.  For Doctor Who fans believe you will find plenty of reason to not Blink.

Architecture

Another reason that I visited Oakland is that I like cemeteries. The Ancient Egyptians believed that in order to have an afterlife your name had to be remembered. So they built great monuments to themselves. In some cases, they scratched out names and put their names over their predecessors. The first great female Pharaoh Hatsheput’s proceeding pharaohs tried to remove her name from all the great monuments that she erected, thus ensuring she would not receive an afterlife. So by visiting and reading these names, we remember those who we would have never known otherwise.

Our monuments are not quite as grand as the Egyptians.

Finally, as a closing statement let me add that burying the dead and providing a marker for a body is the last dignity that we show to a person. It is a sign that someone cared and respected a person enough to want them remembered. By reading these monuments, I am continuing that show of respect. So yes, I’m weird and morbid, but don’t the dead deserve a little respect for they have solved the mystery that we have yet to face.

Me totally not looking for vampires or zombies

Thanks for reading and keep checking back to find out what I’m currently working on.