Sunday, December 11, 2011

Cemetary Outing

Every now and then when I have some free time, I like to remember the people in my life who have made me or shaped me into the person I am. Even the briefest encounters with people can make one change their mindset about life, and (now, about a month ago) I had a day like that with an old friend. I hadn't seen him since March when I met him (for the first time), but we had mutual friends and talked on Facebook. It wasn't until we hung out again that I realized "Oh, hello! I forgot that you're amazing!"

Sometimes my life is so hectic and chaotic that it takes a few days for me to realize "Why yes, I did wake up at 5am all week and kick ass in all of my finals." So it's nice to remember that fun day I had amongst all the chaos. It all began with this little guy:

She's just a stray cat that I happened upon. She looked hungry, so I brought out some food for her and she meowed LOUDLY and ate it all up. I didn't want to touch her while she was eating, but black with a white chest and white paws, but (as you can sort of see in the photo) her hind quarters had a curious orange sheen to them. I named her Hally (short for Halloween, notice the witch), and she comes over still to this day for some noms. I've never had a cat before, my mom's allergic...  ^^;

After that brief wildlife encounter, waited until my friend Jay picked me up. We ate, talked, and went to the cemetary for some good times. There's this huuuge cemetary in Whittier named Rose Hills, and it's gorgeous. I sang there for a September 11th Memorial concert and realized just how gorgeous the place was.
There are marble tables which are actual gravestone markers, and they have a chess board chiseled on the table so you can sit by the water, play some games, and just enjoy nature. I used to come here with my ex-friend and drink hot chocolate, eat muffins, and talk about stuff. Life is easy to talk about when you're surrounded by death.
One of my favorite quotes and one of my favorite headstones. Randomly walking along, we happened upon this:
It was opened, like this, to the violin! Being a ravenous Emilie Autumn fan, I took this as a sign of good things to come. Onward we marched!

This is the quiet section we happened upon. Down by the tree is where the marble benches were, and we were sitting on a wall overlooking a lake and the whole graveyard.

There's the Sky Rose Chapel, composed mostly of glass and wood. That's where I sang for the Memorial, it looks so small in comparison though...

I realized I hadn't taken any photos of him since the time I last saw him, so I decided to stalk him against a wall!
Derp face is full of derp.

Awkwardly trying to avoid my camera's gaze... and failing.

Then he pulled this cute kitten face and I stopped molesting him with my camera. He then took it away, and began harassing ME.
Oh God, my face looks like a cheeseburger... X[
Tryin' to be all gothic... 'n stuff.

Jay and I just sat and talked about school, life, my boyfriend (looong story there), death, movies, music, whatever really. It's so nice to have a day with a person who doesn't make judgements or conclusions about me. Most people simply LOOK at me and draw conclusions, but just sitting and talking and sharing our lives for a brief moment in time helped me realize- I had to slow down and remember the people in my life. And Jay was one of those people.

So remember to breathe, take your time, and remember the people around you. They love you more than you realize. <3!

3 comments:

Sarah E. Jahier said...

Ah lovely post of what looks like a beautiful day! I've never been to Rose Hills, but your photos make me want to check it out!

Your friend Jay is adorable!!

Anonymous said...

Awe, Mary. :3 This means so much to me. I shall slow down and remember the people I love as well. Especially with you.

Serenity said...

Spooky Vegan- Yes, it's very beautiful there! And yes, Jay is a very loving, caring, awesome friend. He drove an hour and a half to see me that day!
Requiem- Its my pleasure. I'm simply posting an overdue post, and I'm glad I got to see you again. :D <3!