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The Tombstone
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"Are you sure it's ok for us to be walking around the graveyard like this? I mean, I feel a little funny stepping on dead people's graves and all."
"Sure it's ok. That's what the graves are out here for. See? All of them have writing on them for other people to read. You don't think they would have writing on their grave if they didn't want people to come and see it, do you?"
"I guess not. But why do you suppose they put all that writing on their tombstone? I mean, look at this one, it's almost like a book it's got so many words."
"That's nothing. Look at this one, it's got a big statue on top of it. And here's one with a building on it that looks kind of like a stone outhouse."
"That guy must have been real important and rich to get a building put on his grave. Why do you suppose a person would do such a thing? Seems like a waste of money to me."
"I guess they figure that as long as they're going anyway they might as well spend what money they have on something that will tell everyone how important they were."
"It looks like most of these graves only have a slab of stone on it telling their name and when they died. And look at this one here, it only tells when the person was born and not when he died."
"That's because he hasn't died yet. But look at this one. It tells all this guy's accomplishments, all the things he won, and all the things he could do."
"Looks kind of like a resume for a job in the next life. I guess he must have been pretty proud of all he did while he was alive."
"I guess so. But when I look at it, I can see all he did, so I know all he didn't do. And there's a lot he didn't do."
"Like what?"
"Well, all these thing are for his own ego boost and pleasures. I don't see anything here saying he was a good person or father and all."
"Here's one that says that this woman was a fine lady and a good mother."
"This one says, Died at the end of a rope as a horse thief. That must be a terrible way to go. He might have been a really nice person all his life, but all that will ever be remembered of him is that he died a horse thief."
"That makes me think. What would you like to have written on your tombstone when you die?"
"That's a good question. After all, it's the last thing anyone will ever know of you. Kind of like a period at the end of your life story."
"Or an exclamation point."
"Or a question mark."
"Yeah, a question mark. I guess that's what I would have on my tombstone, a question mark. I never could make much sense of life anyway. I might as well say so when I leave it. How about you, what would you put on your tombstone?"
"Well, I see all these here, telling good and bad things about different people, and it makes me think how so many people I know have so many different opinions about me. Some like me a lot, maybe even love me a little. I know that some hate me."
"I guess that's the same with most everybody, when you come right down to it. So, what would your tombstone say?'
"I don't think it would. I think I would just leave it blank except for my name, and hang a crayon from a string along side of it and let folks write in their own epitaph about me."
