Roger Angell's “over the Wall”

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Also partly because I am married myself. To Angell just because Carol has

passed, he will hold on the her memories. Toward the end of the essay he recalls visiting her grave with

the family dog. I also went back to visit my fathers stone, and along side him were my Great

Grandmother and Great Grandfather. Different to Angells trip to the cemetery the stones did not date

below the 1800’s, my dads cemetery has very dated stones all with a story to tell as well. “What I

noticed most,” Angell says “was that time had utterly taken away the histories and attachments and

emotions that had once closely wrapped around these dead.”

Angell also points out in his writing that the fear of forgetting his wife has become less and less.

Remembering the good memories seems to be what’s left after the years go by. Sure you remember that

fateful day but I love that he isn’t afraid to admit that memories do fade.

The essay by Roger Angell hit’s close to home for many I am sure. He is not doing a sappy

essay about mourning and death but instead turns this writing into his personal reflection something so

personal to him and life changing. We the reader also start to think about the ways that we cope and

handle our loved ones passing. Roger said it right that “what the dead don’t know piles up.” This could

not be a truer statement in life. It’s us the living that need to decide to keep on so someday we can tell

our loved ones everything they have missed out on.