Tell me a story of the mountains,
tell me who I am.
Don't tell me one of them stories
like they tell to the tourists in Jonesboro.
Tell me about my people,
tell me who I am!
How do you know who you are if you don't know where you came from? My family, like others, had its stories and legends. But they told only part of the story of who we are. The rest we glean from histories and the stories of other families. Some of what we know comes from story tellers and novelists who have done their homework, who have studied the Appalachian experience and can synthesize it into new narratives. They, too, tell us who we are.
that is why I love genealogy. I like the stories, the tales, the passed down information that isn't in the facts and figures of the census records.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post! There are so many stories that are long forgotten.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! So many people have generously shared their family stories with me to use in my books (I do have lots of good family stories of my own but they're all set in Florida and Alabama.)
ReplyDeleteIt was so good to meet you and Dorcas on Sunday! And I really hope to get to Rugby one of these days.