Pondering My Mortality

On Sunday, November 28, 2021, I visited the Mercur Cemetery in Mercur, Utah in Tooele County about 40 miles West of Salt Lake City. This is an old mining community from around the turn of the 20th Century. It will be good to take another drive out there after Winter turns into Spring. The fun part might be sitting there a couple of hours and doing some journaling and reading a book called From the Ground Up - The History of Utah Mining. There is a section on the Ophir and Mercur mining districts. Ophir is about 5 miles north of Mercur. There are people living in that town maybe less than 50 citizens. In another post, I will share photos of that smallish town. 

The climb to the cemetery was fairly steep about a 100 yard climb. This was a nice place to visit so I can sit among the dead in my portable recreational chair. The graveyard had a calming effect on me and I was able to consider my mortality realizing I won't live forever. The drive to Mercur was nice and calm and it helped me to relax. After finishing the climb it was nice to feel my feet firmly planted on the ground with the surface area of my feet being fully covered. 

This is the result of the climb up to the cemetery facing East. The town of Mercur is Eastward and no one is living there because a mining company has a lease with rights to the property. 

Life in Utah is so wonderful and so many places to see and be grateful for. 

That is all for now everyone!

~TommyJ~

It was getting dark when I arrived at about 3:45.
The surroundings did not feel creepy because
this was a quiet place to visit for self-care.

Me sitting among the dead at the
cemetery. It may cover a
couple of acres.

Me with my orange car in the
background. 

More graves as facing Eastward. There were a
number of graves without markers.

 

Leaving Rage Behind...

Seven years ago today, I read an article about political rhetoric and how being in a constant state of outrage is maybe not the best thing for my well-being. As I thought about the article, I had to admit to myself that this is me. For those of you who've known me across the years, there's always been something that's had me on a soapbox. Most of the time it was probably a liberal leaning something or other but there were times in high school and in my early 40's where I leaned to the right, but no matter where I was, there was always some outrage I had to vent about.

Honestly, for me, being outraged is mood-altering and something I don't need in my life. I choose something better than getting high on anger. My desire is each day, not to live in the news, but to live in the now and to be present with the people I am blessed to have in my life. To be in a state of outrage, is to live in a state of fear and that is a product I no longer wish to consume. Life is Hard Enough.

As your friend, my desire is for the best for each of you. That is the essence of neighborliness. I'm blessed to live in a wonderfully diverse neighborhood, with people I'm might disagree with about something or other. What I like to remember is we are friends on the journey, and we trust the good intentions of each other. My hope is that my effect on you, however small it was and is, will be that I brought out the best in you and didn't engage the not so awesome parts of you. I will close with this thought, there is a little bit of good in the worst of us and a little bit of bad in the best of us.

With that thought, peace and blessings to you all!

~TommyJ~