Cemetery Renegade (A Mama Kat Writing Workshop Prompt)

Here’s the thing about me. I am a rule-follower. As I shared with you in this post, my life is pretty devoid of “troublemaker” stories. Therefore, when random.org served up Mama Kat prompt number two, “a rule I broke,” I actually had random.org recalculate a second option in case I couldn’t think of anything.

But there is that one time at Arlington Cemetery ….. the one where I ticked off the Capitol Police (or whatever entity is in charge of security there) and possibly disrespected the memory of a revered former president.

I was visiting a friend in Washington, D.C. I happened to have a pretty sizable crush on this friend (the feeling wasn’t mutual but I had not accepted that yet). The friend and I had worked together on a political campaign for a North Florida candidate (translation: we watched a lot of clogging and ate a lot of chicken pilau). The candidate won; my friend went to work for him in D.C. I did not get a position with the candidate’s office and remained in Tallahassee.

When the friend and I visited Arlington National Cemetery, we were on a trajectory toward John F. Kennedy’s gravesite. The problem is that my friend took a shortcut. Even though if I had decided independently, I would have taken the sidewalk, I deferred to my friend and followed him up the perfectly manicured grassy slope toward the site. The Capitol Police were. not. impressed. A whistle shrilled. Like a deer in headlights, I just kept going – there was no way to divert to the “official” path by now and plus I was following Mr. Crush.

And that’s where the story ends. I don’t think the Capitol Police even said anything to me – if I recall correctly they were at the bottom of the hill so I suppose they gave up once they saw I was not going to defile the site or anything.

But the incident has always bothered me. Had it happened in the Post 9/11 era, I would probably have been thrown in the slammer or forced to a TSA-style full body scan or something. Horrors.

I lost touch with the crush. The candidate changed parties (there was a lot of that going on among North Florida politicians in the late 80’s). I still run into him once in a while since he lives in my town. I always chuckle inside because seeing him rekindles that little “rule breaking” flame of memory in my brain.

Paula Kiger

Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.