Always Stop To Smell The BumbleBees
Today I took a short walk through the local cemetery, and found myself thoroughly refreshed by the pleasantness of the day. Plenty of warm sunshine without it being horribly humid, accompanied by a nice cool wind that could hardly be called gusty. As I passed by a row of dandelions, I saw a large and fuzzy bumblebee collecting pollen. Intrigued, I knelt down and for the next minute watched in rapt fascination as the bumblebee extended its long tongue and slurped up what I can only assume was the dandelion's nectar.
It was one of those life-affirming moments where I forgot about any and all worries in my life. Had I not been taking my constitutional through the cemetery, I would have missed the childhood joy of just sitting and staring as something else went frenetically about its business.
In all honesty, I don't see why more people take walks through cemeteries these days. I really do believe the Victorians had a good idea hosting picnics in cemeteries. Consider the benefits: it's very well-kept, beautiful and there are green lawns everywhere; it's very quiet; and there is very little traffic to contend with, and the cars you do stray across are not moving fast at all. Of course, if you've seen one too many zombie movies, there is the understandable paranoia of having some rotting hand tear up through the ground and your $50 picnic blanket, and then steal your cake before the ants even have a chance to form a raiding party.
Sure, some of you will say: "But having a meal with dead people six feet under you? That's just rude!"
Well, consider this: if the dead guy beneath you starts complaining that you're blocking his sun, you might just have a problem. Otherwise, I don't think most of the cemetery residents are going to be protesting a lot. Though their next of kin might, so it's probably a good idea to set your picnic up in one of those grassy areas that has yet to be developed for future plots. And if there's a mausoleum (our local cemetery has two, in fact) on the grounds, you can usually find a prime, unoccupied plot of soil for relaxing.
Now there may very well be laws against picnicking in a cemetery, so it's good to check first. Or who knows? You might set a new precident and can one day say proudly that you're the reason they put up all those new signs telling patrons that it is illegal for them to have a picnic on the cemetery grounds.
There's irony in there somewhere: in a place for the dead, you can sit quietly and enjoy life.
Today's Lesson: Bumblebees have tongues. (I honestly did not know this before).
posted by Phillip at 1:25 PM
