Simple Peace

In my opinion, there is nothing so pleasant as a cemetery. These hallowed grounds have such a special feel to them--in these places, there is nothing due, nothing to rush off to, and no one asking you questions. You'll never find someone trying to sell you a hot dog or a timeshare there. Cemeteries are a hassle-free zone. In them, you can just be. They are simple peace.

New Mexico has such an interesting array of them. There's a small one located just at the on-ramp to the freeway to I-25 as you leave the airport. It's small and untended with lots of cement, and I do sometimes wonder how those souls there feel about their location. I'd prefer a more pastoral place, myself, but then again, I suppose the venue itself is more for the living than the dead. After all, I intend to be steadily employed in my next life as a cuddler of kittens and rescuer of squirrels, and will have no time for sitting about by my headstone plucking at flowers.

I love to stop at cemeteries and wander around, saying hello to those who reside there and marveling over things such as their names, their life spans, their military service, the children they have buried near them. I feel it's a moment of recognition between us, as if the veil gets lifted for just a moment so that we can give a single nod to each other. I see you, I say, and I think they say the same right back.

This is all brought to mind by the fact that I'm sitting a stone's throw from the Kit Carson Cemetery in Taos. I happened to have some meandering time, and what better place to go when you're feeling a little poopy la la and need some perspective? (Also, and very importantly, I have found the free parking in Taos.)

I suppose it's obvious to say Kit Carson is buried there. Kit was a fighting man who had his own share of controversy, as any decent man of the wild west does. It's a little hard to figure out which one is his grave--there are several with his name on it, who I suppose are his descendants. I had to look up his dates of birth and death to ferret out the right one, which is here:

Kit gets all the attention, of course, but nestled next to him is his wife, Josephine. I think she's worth a mention. One wonders just who she was, and how she lived her life married to this man. The best part about cemeteries is that one can make up stories to suit one's purposes, so I've decided to characterize her as a saucy woman who didn't take anything lying down, no sir. She gave as good as she got, and when the rebellion came, she was out front fighting with the men. Probably with a baby under each arm.

But keep in mind I made that up.

And speaking of temperament, take a look at this lady:

Benigna. Do you think she lived into that name as a delicate and sweet woman who never uttered a word that was not soaked in kindness, or did she spend her life railing against it? I'd like to have known her. Honestly, that's a heck of a name to saddle a gal with, unless you're trying to give her the element of surprise in a bar fight.

One of my favorites at the Kit Carson Cemetery was a fella who just unabashedly put it all out there:

"I am at rest for an eternity near my idol Kit Carson." Way to go, John McCurdy. Just say it like you feel it.

Another favorite:

Unknown to end. Unknown to end. Oh, what greater way to whet the curiosity of the idle observer? Was this truly a stranger buried here, unknown to anyone but himself or herself to the end? Or perhaps it was someone who chose to live a life of taciturnity, and this was his or her spouse's way of getting even for all those long, silent nights? It truly does beg wondering, doesn't it? Interestingly, he or she was buried near Kit Carson. Very near. Closer even than John McCurdy. The plot thickens.

Keeping with the theme of mystery, I found this marker tucked back by the fence:

Clearly it's a headstone of sorts, but for who? And when? It was near a marker for Mister Solomon Grubb, who had no issues with declaring himself:

At historical grave sites, you get to learn things. I found this marker, and while the type is too small to be read here, allow me to summarize:

Antonio joined the seminary following the death of his wife and child. He became a major religious leader and was famous for "obtaining the abolition of tithes." Srsly. He also established the first co-ed school in New Mexico and published textbooks and one of the first newspapers in New Mexico. It may not surprise you to know he had a few religious differences with the Bishop, and was ultimately defrocked and excommunicated from the Church. Rome better pay attention because I guess this is what happens when you let married men wear the collar. They go all modern and change things.

Another famous name in this neck of the woods, aside from Kit Carson, is Mabel Dodge Luhan. She was a philanthropist and entertainer to the stars, but check out her grave marker:

One word: understated. I love the candle and the flowers--somebody's still looking after Mabel.

There were families buried there with beautiful names: Soledad DesGeorges, her husband Esteban DesGeorges, and their DesGeorges children. Aloys Liebert came to Taos in the 19th century, dying there in 1905. His descendant, Alois Liebert III, illustrates to us how subtle spelling changes take hold and create a slightly altered lineage. Severino Martinez. Ney C. Galaway. And another favorite:

Yes, Hipolita. The head had come off the animal that was topping the marker, but do you think it was--dare I say it?--a hippopotamus? I hope she had that sense of humor. At all times we must laugh, even in repose.

Thank you for joining me in my journey beyond. The earliest date of birth I saw was 1820, and the latest death was in the 1970s. These folks may be long gone, but certainly not forgotten. At least not by me.