For many years, area leaf peepers have used
Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison, Arkansas, as their gauge for the extent of the transformation of deciduous trees of the Ozarks into flaming torches of color. I usually try to have my camera with me when I visit there in the fall of the year, in hopes of getting just the perfect photograph to capture the essence of autumn. In fact, one of the first photographs I ever sold for real money was taken in
Maplewood in the fall. There are several other reasons I like to visit
Maplewood Cemetery---the most significant being that the "family burial plot" is there, with memorials to my relatives that have finished their earthly "expedition". It is this concept of the "family burial plot" that I wanted to write about. A few years ago, I met for the first time, a retired lady at a party, and we were making chitchat as we became acquainted. She asked about my background, and I told her I grew up in Harrison. She said that she and her husband had looked into retiring in Harrison when they moved away from the big city, but decided against it. I want to quote the reason she said they did not choose Harrison: "You know, if you don't have a plot in
Maplewood Cemetery, you will never be accepted there." WOW! I had never heard that before! That meant that, since I DID have a plot at
Maplewood Cemetery, I must be accepted---part of the "IN CROWD"!! I need never feel dejected or left out EVER again,
because my family has a burial plot at
Maplewood! I really "dig that"! Miles of smiles! Tricia
