Stories of Stick-to-it-ive-ness!

I’ve been thinking about longevity and “stick-to-it-ive-ness” (I know, Mom…it’s a Karen word). This month in our Piney Woods edition of Postcards, we highlighted a special lady who has just begun her 50th year of teaching. That’s right…50 YEARS! She was MY first grade teacher, and she is still at it. Last fall in our Montgomery County edition, we featured a Willis couple, Ralph and Mary Lou Riggs. This special couple will celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary this November!

Some of the things that delight me endlessly are the stories of people just like these in our communities. In today’s society, where we can push a button on a remote and watch any of hundreds of television channels or turn on our computer and get instant access to the Internet and all that it contains, things that are “still around” are becoming rare. In fact, we’ve become accustomed to the fact that technology changes so fast. It’s usually cheaper to buy a new one than repair the old. However, there are some things that just can’t be replaced, and there are some lessons that can only be learned from people and things that “stuck it out.” It is so much fun to spotlight these in a community magazine.

Stories tie people together. They give a family its heritage—its roots. Stories about your parents and grandparents when they were young help you to know where you came from. For example, my mother has often told the story about how I came home from school in first grade using a lot of big words (like “stick-to-it-ive-ness,” I’m sure), and she asked me if I knew what they meant. I replied, “No, but my friends don’t either, and they think I’m smart!” We have a simple rule in our home about meal time. We put the cell phones away and talk. No matter how cool that game is or how important the text conversation you’re having, it’s just not as cool as talking and “connecting” in a different way than electronically.

Stories about people in our community do the same thing. They tie us together in a way that helps us know each other better and understand where we came from, how we got here, and (sometimes) where we’re going! It’s learning about the place you choose to live.

And that’s why we think what we do is so important. We aren’t “just” a magazine—we’re a picture of your home.

Until next time ~ Karen

Email me at postcards@usa.com