Action Plan

source

This is from an email I sent to a cousin in 2007.  I was thinking about my next visit down to Headland (AL), where I was born and raised.  Kade and I had just moved to Asheville and I had not started my blogs and had no YouTube channel.  And although I had a growing interest in family history, it was nothing like it would become.  Back then, in 2007, I had a few family members (parents, aunts, uncles, cousins) that were sharing information.  I was tapping into their knowledge.  And then there were a couple of uncles and a cousin who were thinking and living very differently than others.  The uncles, in particular, were fabulous resources.  We'd talk on the phone, but usually it was best when I would visit them.  My uncle Watt Espy was pretty amazing.  I could simply go sit down with him and talk with him.  He was pretty much confined to his home then, so he was very welcoming.  

I must really fine-tune things a bit more, but the basic idea is to get people to

(1) talk about how life in small towns shapes us -  pros and cons

(2) zero in on reasons why/how some transition out of small towns into newer "foreign" environments

(3) share what it can be like returning to hometowns to visit or live after spending time away

(4) talk about the role religion played in shaping views

Another idea is to interview people to find out what "Galileo moments" they've had.  When I think of "Galileo moments" I think of situations, events or newly gained knowledge that forced us to rethink things or maybe truly start thinking about how we're living, choices we've made, opinions we have, etc..  For me, maybe traveling, being a missionary or marrying someone from a very different background presented all kinds of "Galileo moments." 

When I go to Headland in a few days, I am sitting down with Uncle Jim and Uncle Watty to get some notes together on our family's history and on why they think the way they do.  I will share some of this with you later.

January 2007