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Tuesday, November 04, 2003
Lee: Peace of mind
By Kelvin King Lee
Babble On
Trust our local sensibilities to make a zarzuela out of the area. The 1st and 2nd of November are now equal to fiestas, complete with food, boisterous music and carnival-like atmospheres that are probably designed to wake up the dead.
THE "celebration" of All Saint's and All Soul's Day has always confused me. Though I have always made an effort to visit my father and some of my other departed relatives at cemeteries here in Davao, I have never understood the festive atmosphere in our memorial parks.
Memorial parks, in my mind, should be places for quiet reflection. They should be places where one can spend some time with your departed loved ones in a peaceful tranquil environment.
Trust our local sensibilities to make a zarzuela out of the area. The 1st and 2nd of November are now equal to fiestas, complete with food, boisterous music and carnival like atmospheres that are probably designed to wake up the dead.
I can understand that people wish to be with their dearly departed on November 1 as tradition dictates. My family spends this day with my father and my grandmother as well, in the San Pedro memorial park and the Chinese cemetery respectively.
I am happy to do this, as it is a chance to be with them. But I absolutely hate the atmosphere in the cemeteries. I absolutely hate the crowds. And I absolutely hate the noise. People screaming, music blaring and people drinking despite the liquor ban. Not exactly an atmosphere conducive for praying and thinking of your dead loved ones.
And I especially hated the disorganization in the San Pedro memorial park where my dad is buried. Situated near Marfori subdivision, the San Pedro memorial park we visited last weekend had guards and traffic rules that were about as useful as a sixth toe.
Their job was to ensure that the traffic regulations created specifically for the occasion were followed. They did not. So nobody followed those regulations. People parked their cars in the middle of the road or in the u-turn slot, creating a massive traffic jam. These security guards were either not briefed on their jobs or just plain lazy. Either way, they made a necessary excursion to the memorial park a torture trip. This after we paid 50 pesos for a gate pass for our vehicle.
It didn't help that people were so inconsiderate that day as well. Parking your car anywhere as though the entire road was a parking lot was idiotic. Yet because one person did that, many others followed suit. Misunderstandings occurred due to this.
One bystander actually insulted my brother's driving skills since he thought we were parked haphazardly. If that foolish bystander had looked around properly, he would have seen that a multicab and a jeepney that parked on the road caused the traffic snarl. It took forever for security guards/traffic enforcers to arrive and finally rectify the problem.
Part of the total package that a bereaved family buys when they purchase a cemetery lot is peace of mind. There was no peace of mind that day for many in the San Pedro memorial park. Most people probably had a different kind of peace on their minds. They probably wished that many would rest. In peace. (Email me at babbleon@atenista.net)
(November 4, 2003 issue)
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