Rest In Peace. Not Pieces.

I took a few days off to celebrate my birthday, and while on that break I took some time to think of some good posts for you readers. Lets "dig" in, so to speak.

One word that most people think of when someone says "Ghosts" is cemetery or graveyard.

The term cemetery implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries are distinguished from other burial grounds by usually not adjoined to a church. A graveyard, on the other hand, is located in a churchyard, that has been consecrated.

It seems since the dawn of man there have been stories of the supernatural, and whether it be by pure belief, entertainment, or that it was a good idea at the time, the most common stories of any generation's folklore mentions a graveyard or cemetery.

But what makes these grounds so popular for the stories? Did the thought of so many dead people buried in a single area give people the willies? Or did really strange things happen to them that made them believe that something was in fact going on?

Majority if these tales that you do hear are in truth, just that: Stories. What better way to make your kid behave by telling them that if they stick a knife in so-and-so's plot, they will come back from the dead and grab your leg. Why not make the slumber party more interesting by sitting on What's-Their-Bucket's headstone, you will hear them moan for their long lost lover.

Over the decades, these stories have been a very popular trend among young adults to hang out in cemeteries looking for the thrill. But with that also comes desecration.

I'm going to be telling you some personal stories of some cemeteries that I've been to. I will leave the locations undisclosed, although some of you may know which ones I am talking about. If you do know, and decided to go for yourselves, I ask that you please be respectful not only to the dead, but to the grounds, and try and get permission if you go at night. Not having the authority is trespassing. Thank you.

A few years ago when I first started getting into the paranormal research, a few friends and I wanted to go out and find some ghosts. We didn't have access to any houses and what not, so we decided to head to some cemeteries. The first one we hit up was the biggest one in the area. It was also shared backyards with the local university. What do you get when you cross a large cemetery with college kids who have nothing better to do on a Friday night? You get stories passed down from class to class, and curious kids who decide to play into these stories.

The Weeping Woman Statue

The biggest story being of  "The Legend of The Weeping Woman", a 6-foot statue of a woman kneeling over surrounding headstones. People say she is mourning for the tragic loss of her children, whose graves are nearby. The legend goes that on a full moon at midnight it's said that if people surround the statue, tears will form beneath her eyes, crying for her children.

Personally seeing this statue at night on a full moon, I never saw anything paranormal about it. The way lights and shadows play from camera flashes, the way it was sculpted, or the local frats using an eyedropper full of water before the pledges got there, the stone can have that look like it had been wet at one point, but has dried.

The funny thing was however, while we were just walking around the entire cemetery, you had that feeling that you were not welcome. Almost as though... you were being violated. Little plastic windmills would start spinning erratically when there was no wind, constantly looking over your shoulder as if you were being watched. It was very uneasy to say the least. I just think because of all the crap that lot has endured over the years of skeptics and joksters, it has caused the area to be a little riled up.

Of course there have been some cemeteries that I've visited that I felt very comfortable in. I remember walking around the one just a few blocks from where I lived at the time. It was night of course (I know, I tell you all to not trespass yet I was!) and as I walked by this one gravestone I felt the need to stop. I looked down and noticed it was a kid's grave. I wasn't sure if it was a male or female because the name could of been used for either, but I remember just staring at it, and had this overwhelming sense of peace. So strong that I felt like I could have laid down right next to it and fell asleep and be safe.

These two experiences that were so far from each other on the spectrum of personality had me baffled. Were the spirits indeed keeping watch over their eternal resting place? Who's to say. It could have been my imagination, along with those who were with me, just don't be surprised if you ever get those feelings yourself. But don't expect me to keep a straight face about the local urban legends of crying statues.