I have been thinking about the changes in the America of my youth and that of my parents. Social changes mostly. I was thinking about what influences have added to this change. I’m thinking a major one may be that many of us have moved from our hometowns. Without doing a big research paper on the whole deal, I’ll leave that for a sociologist, I think my generation began this exodus. We grew up and moved out. There are many factors that contributed to this. Social and economic priorities. As I said, I will not try to analyze the whole deal, but I do have one observation I feel may be relevant. In this moving we left some things behind. Most notably our family. Now I’m not thinking about those living members of the family, I’m thinking about those that are laid to rest in the cemetery.After we have left town, how often do we think to visit them ?
I have been living here in Greensboro for over twenty years now. I know a few friends or acquaintances in the local cemetery. I occasionally go to visit them. Stopping by, they are a reminder of the past and what used to be. I recall conversations I may have had with them or time shared, good and bad. Many times I wish I could do the same with my family. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and all those I grew up around. A stroll through the cemetery with so many familiar names. The peace and serenity can not but cause you to reflect. Reminders. Reminders of your past and your upbringing.
Yes I’m thinking some of these changes would not occur if we were still at ” home.” If we were reminded of those values we were taught. In one sense we have become lost. We wander the country looking for home. And most of us are nostalgic for the old hometown. We move and for a while talk of how great this new location is, but many times it is prefaced with, It’s not home but. We all know everything changes over time,nothing stays the same, but still we long for that. We long for the days of our youth and better times.
We are becoming disconnected from our past generations. Some would call this progress and I can understand that view. I do think we all need reminders and those reminders are there waiting for us to visit.