Monday, March 5, 2012

The Lonely Highway

A little bit outside of Brownwood on the highway towards Waco there is a gravestone up on a windswept hill. I pass it each time I go to Waco (or anywhere east).

An old crumbling homestead is down the hill from the lone grave, and out by the marble headstone sits a rusted old metal chair which has fallen over. Grass has grown up around both.

When I see this stone, I always wonder who is buried there. Even more, I wonder who loved them enough to come and sit out beside their grave in that metal chair. I wonder where they've gone now and left their chair to rust and decay beneath the grim Texas sun. How long did they linger on this Earth after their loved one was gone and why was there nobody who loved THEM enough to bury them beside the person they loved enough to sit by the grave?

I hope today the circle is now unbroken and they are side by side. What remains we may leave on a windswept Texas hill are of no consequence. Our everlasting souls are preserved and we will meet with our loved ones again.

4 comments:

Janice said...

Ernie, are you going to start writing a book? I ask because you obviously have a gift for painting a vivid picture with your words. While I've enjoyed all of your posts, today's post was absolutely exceptional. Please keep the thought-provoking Ernie-insights coming...I thoroughly enjoy them.

Ernest said...

Thank you. I've thought about writing a book before but I don't know what it would be about ... how to alienate people? How to fail in corporate America? How to incompetently homestead and still survive?

Xa Lynn said...

365 Thought Provoking Vignettes on life before the hereafter.

I'd like that.

My grandparents share one stone. Sometimes, that's enough for hope.

Xa Lynn

Anonymous said...

Your book could be called "Inspirations from the Homestead" I'd buy it. :)