A Trip To The Mausoleum

May 9, 2025
2:22 PM

When I first began writing, I learned in a book that the worst mistake I could make is writing about boring things. The author then shared a story about how he saw the sunrise and sunset every day for a year to have something to write about. I thought it was silly and perhaps a little ineffective at demonstrating the point, but the idea stuck with me.

A few days ago, I was feeling particularly uninspired. With nothing better to do, I decided to walk a nearby trail to watch the sunset. Fluffy clouds painted orange and blue lit up the sky behind a silhouette of pine trees. To top it all off, it was reflected perfectly in a nearby lake. It was certainly beautiful, but it wasn't anything I could write about.

On my way back, I saw a building across a field I hadn't explored before. I could tell from a distance that it was very colourfully decorated and well-maintained. I decided to see what it was. As I got closer, I found out it was a mausoleum. I saw a wall of tiles decorated with faces and names of people no longer with us.

Each tile had a single line of engraving, surrounded by flowers with a small light shining underneath them. As I read the epitaphs etched on their tombstones, it made me wonder who they were, what challenges they faced, and what kind of relationships they shared with their loved ones.

Eventually, it led me to think about where I'd like to be buried and what I'd like my own tombstone to say. Then I realized how uncertain my life is, but at the same time, how much possibility that uncertainty holds.

A long time ago, my mentor began to list the names of men who made the biggest impact in history and asked me what the difference was between me and them. I replied that I didn't know. He said I was alive and they weren't. The influence they once had on the future was gone, but I was here, and I could make a difference.

Life, no matter how mundane, is one of the most valuable things you own. You may not think of your influence as much, but it is more than others can say. Even if it's only for one day, strive to use it wisely in alignment with your own values. I believe if we can live enough days that way, our souls, too, may rest in peace.

4:13 PM
Chris X