06/12/2001

(Even if they're over 40!! Nieces, Nephews, Grandkids, and Cousins included!)


I recently received an email from my mid 20's Step-Daughter thanking me for sharing a piece of information about an unknown Great Great Uncle, born in Norway, who served in the Civil War.   Her most significant comment was "Until I got this information, I didn't even know that part of our family was from Norway!!"  In a subsequent telephone comment to her Mother she said "Mom, why don't I already know this stuff??"  And thus this web page and an idea are born!!! 
For Sarah and all of the other kids!

Our children know about the 'Cat in the Hat', and about 'Green Eggs and Ham', and about 'Survivors', and about The Clinton foolishness, and about .......    What they don't know is the story of Uncle Richard's visit to the Bulge and how he lost his arm, and Great Aunt Marie and her relationship with the WCTU (American History 101?), and about the wonderful smell of Grampa's old clay pipe in the evening (Hey, isn't that the pipe that's up in the attic somewhere?), and about their Great Grandfather's heroism and death at Gettysburg.  They don't know the 'difficult' stories either - Aunt Maude's problem with brother Rum, the desertion of Great Uncle Ben at Petersburg, or perhaps Great Uncle Sam's relationship to Quantrill in Kansas, and yes - even about the slavery of Great Great Grandfather Amos.  We need to be telling them so they know who they are - who we are!!

Since the coming of electricity we have stopped telling family stories! We now leave it to radio, and television, musicians, and, Lord help us, the Media. Electricity and the Internet can give it all back to us if we choose to use it.  Turn off the tube, the CD/CDV, the cassette, the radio and tell your kid(s) a story - about family!!  Do it Tonight!!  If you don't know one - find one!!

Tell Your Kid a Story!!  A Family Story!!  You will love it, they will love it, and best of all, they will begin to know who they are, and so will you!! 

Just Do It!!


 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[ Mad Max - Beyond Thunderdome - Savannah, The Tell] 

 "This you knows: the years travel fast and time after time I done the tell.     But this ain't one body's tell; it's the tell of us all, and you've got to listen  it and member, cause what you hears today you gotta tell the newborn tomorrow. 

" I's lookin behind us now, into history back. I sees those of us that got       the luck and started the haul for home and I members how it led us here       and how we was heartbroke cause we seen what they once was. 

"One look and we knew'd we'd got it straight. Those what had gone before had the knowin and the doin and things beyond our reckonin, even beyond our dreamin. 

"Time counts and keeps countin and we knows now, findin the trick of what's been and lost ain't no easy ride. But that's our track. We gotta travel it and there ain't nobody knows wheres it's gonna lead. 

"Still, in all, every night we does the tell so that we member who we was and where we came from. 

"But most of all we members the man who finded us, him that came the salvage, and we lights the city not just for him but for all of 'em that are still out there, cause we knows there'll come a night when they sees the distant light and they'll be comin home." 


(http://www.transparencynow.com/maxintro.htm ) Ken Sanes


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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