Here I sit patiently waiting for the first blog post for
2014 to come to me. I’m in my office I have set up for myself over the last few
months. It’s still a bit junky. I’m
still trying to decorate, organize, and work all at the same time, but finally
I’m here at the desk facing the front windows with the afternoon sun splashing
over my desk providing a bit of warmth on such a frigid day. I sit and wait.
The cursor on the computer screen blinks out its hello as if
to say, “I’m here waiting for you. <blink> When are you going to type?
<blink> I’m ready. Are you? <blink> Hello?<blink>
<blink> <blink>……It's as annoying as a little yapping dog.
Sometimes the things I write are meticulously planned out
for weeks. For example, I already know
what I’m writing about for the Sentinel
column for the next couple of weeks.
However there are times when I don’t have a clue until right before my
deadline, and then it hits like a ton of bricks and the words flow from my
fingertips so fast I fear I might drop a few. Then there are times like today
where my mind is everywhere all at once, and nothing in my notes is raising its
hand begging to be noticed.
So, maybe it’s time for a bit of gratitude. Perhaps I should
take the time here at the beginning of a new year to examine what it is I do,
and why I do it.
Sometimes even I question the whole thing.
I exhaust myself
researching Douglas County history because it’s rich and vibrant. The
county was formed in 1870 at the cusp of all things Old South and as all things
New South was revving up. I liken it to the “perfect storm” of ingredients for
a New South town during Reconstruction.
I know of very few counties and county seats such as Douglasville where
you can examine the New South philosophy put into play as both the county and
town were developing. We have something very special here.
I do what I do
because I love uncovering a great story.
Finding things out piece by piece, suddenly understanding how they all
dovetail and fit together in order to create the larger picture – that’s what I find captivating about Douglas County
history. I’ve been teaching and/or
writing about history in general for several years, but now to have “my own
little laboratory of history” to work with, that’s familiar yet not familiar –
that’s what keeps me going.
I delve into the
history of Douglas County in order to add to the historical record. I don’t research the history, visit with
people, and write anything in order to replace any of the historical record
that has already been published. As my blog tagline states and as the heading
on the Facebook page indicates my
number one aim is to bring Douglas County history to a 21st Century
audience. Social media can be a nightmare if not handled properly, but I like
to think that it’s a great tool for educating people. It enables people of all
ages to see the history, read the history, and most importantly to share the
history. What better time is it than now
when we can ride the wave of nostalgia that so many in the Baby Boomer
generation are feeling as they reconnect on sites like Facebook or Google +, and
then share what they re-discover with their children and grandchildren.
The backstory would
be just too much fun to miss out on.
The situations I find myself in during the process, the personalities I
meet, and the stories surrounding the history are almost as entertaining as the
history itself. I wish I could share
some of them. Believe it or not there is a mad dance called the “politics of
history” where at times you most court the folks who control the history in
order to access and share the history with the folks who actually own it. The
owners in this case being the citizens of Douglas County.
I research Douglas
County history because I’m a bit selfish.
As many may already know I grew up in Red Oak which is a little
community in South Fulton County between College Park and Fairburn. It is my dear sweet home. My strong
connection to Douglas County history stems from two important factors. The first being the
fact that I have lived here in this county for close to 30 years, while the
second factor has to do with Red Oak itself. Red Oak, like Douglas County was
once part of Campbell County, so all of the history I learned as a girl growing
up in Red Oak from longtime residents just created the historical bridge for me
to cross into Douglas County history.
It seems that it was my course to follow all along, and I
plan to stay on that course for a long time to come.
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