In Memoriam

And if you should remember me

When all I am is a memory,

Would you smile once and say,

"I don't believe you've gone away."

And would you keep a tiny spark

Burning somewhere in your heart

  John Stewart, If You Should Remember Me, from The Ballads, 2003

It seems to me that a lot of the secret sauce that helps us make sense of our world across generations is the keeping of traditions. Among those, from the earliest days of civilization has been the ritual honoring of those who have passed. Those rituals are, of course, ever evolving and varied. I tend to simplify and think of them in two categories – the grand, ostentatious public demonstrations on the one hand and the personal, intimate remembrances on the other. The question I struggle with is, which has greater merit?

The public demonstrations, observed with metronomic efficiency and regularity, are typically full of pomp and circumstance. Who doesn’t love a good parade, I guess. As highly orchestrated and impactful these events may be in the moment, I feel they are quickly forgotten, as we return to our daily lives. Frankly, I find these events somewhat lacking and uninspiring.

The personal, intimate observances are, to my mind, a totally different kind of experience. What I am specifically thinking about here are the many shrines, crosses and other remembrances that seem to be particularly common along southern Arizona roadsides. With a lineage that traces back to at least to Roman times, these markers seem to have blossomed in design, style and creativity in recent years. The more I notice them, the more I am humbled by the effort, creativity and originality that went into their conception and creation. I find that when I notice a marker new to me, I can’t help but wonder about its circumstance and provenance. For others that I pass regularly, I look forward to checking in on them to see if they are still in good order. Many clearly are visited and tended regularly with care and love. And that, I think, is a legacy we might all aspire to, long after the marching bands, tanks and soldiers have passed by and the confetti has been swept up.

I have included photos of just a handful of the markers I have visited in the Gallery. As I am discovering this is a much bigger subject than I originally imagined, I think it deserves to be collected in a book, which I will be working on throughout this year. Hopefully I will have that available by the end of the year, so check back for updates. I am planning for any proceeds from sales to go to charities that I will name at a later date.