The Dead Have An Advantage Over The Living

The dead never have to explain themselves.

Their mistakes become stories. Their flaws become quirks. Their failures fade while their victories grow larger with every retelling. Given enough time, even ordinary people can become legends.

The living don't enjoy that luxury. We are judged by what we did yesterday, what we said this morning, and what someone thinks we might do tomorrow. Perhaps that's why so many people are fascinated by ghosts, cemeteries, and old ruins. The dead are finished. Their stories are complete. Ours are still being written, and that uncertainty is far more frightening than any graveyard.