The Sad Book

I have a thing for cemeteries - it's back to that old anthropology training again I guess, but a visit to an old cemetery in the UK tells you so much about social history. Living in London we have some amazing cemeteries on our doorstep, particularly the Magnificent Seven - a group of Seven urban cemeteries built by the Victorians, sprawling gothic burial grounds for the great and good of society.

So far I have visited three of the seven, West Norwood, Old Brompton and last week, Highgate - last resting place of Karl Marx and Malcolm Maclaren.

I also discovered it is the burial place for the writer Douglas Adams, a collection of pens at the foot of his headstone and reading glasses ontop of it (people do that sort of thing, Oscar Wilde's Headstone at Pere Lachaise in Paris is covered in lipstick kisses from adoring pilgrims).  Next to Douglas' headstone there is a smaller, rougher stone with the words "Eddie Steele Rosen" .

Sometimes Pollyanna can take a hike

Pollyanna is a character from a children's book, her name has become a popular term for someone with an optimistic outlook on life.  In the book Pollyanna gets through her misfortunes by playing the "Glad Game" - always finding the positive in everything in life and finding the glad in every situation.

99% of the time I am a Pollyanna - in fact my ability to see the positive in every situation is irritating even to me at times