Eternal Silence

Eternal Silence, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

Eternal Silence marks the plot of hotelier Dexter Graves (1789-1844), who, in 1831, brought the first colony to Chicago from Ashtabula, Ohio.

A robed and hooded bronze figure stands before a polished black slab of granite, its face partially hidden by one arm. Eternal Silence, also called the "Statue of Death", was created by sculptor Lorado Taft in 1909.
(from www.graveyards.com/IL/Cook/graceland/esilence.html)

This monument stands in the Graceland Cemetery on the north side of Chicago. One of the legends of this monument is that it "cannot be photographed" ... well there you go. I added the effect because it looked a little blah without it.

I do not believe in ghosts. I do not believe in "supernatural" phenomena. I like to visit cemeteries because they are free history museums and sculpture gardens. I have never witnessed anything "paranormal" in a cemetery or otherwise. The hair stands up on the back of my neck when I listen to others talk about ghost stories or unusual experiences they've had in cemeteries or old houses, but the people telling such stories typically have dubious credibility and a history of believing preposterous claims.

For me, I like the quiet in a cemetery. They are not happy places, I will admit... but they are very peaceful. A few hours strolling through a cemetery is a brilliant way to shut out the city hassles and reflect on my own life.