NOTE: Check the comments area on Friday’s post for Sarah’s and my response to the Guess Her Age Game. It was fun!
Last Sunday morning, our drummer, David, was telling a funny story before worship team rehearsal, a story which provided him with numerous opportunities to throw in dramatic sound effects (Which he did with the greatest gusto.)
When he finished, our sound man Charles, laughed and said, “David, some things just never change. That’s the same way you used to tell stories back in High School!”
Now if you didn’t know differently, you might assume that David and Charles are two fellas in their twenties or thirties and that their reminiscing goes back just a decade or so.
But no. Those guys are both grandfathers—David is in his late 50’s and Charles is ten years older. (Charles taught David Driver’s Ed.) The reason the two of them can still reminisce about High School is that they are among the many Roanoke Island residents who have lived here a very long time.
On the same subject, I happened to overhear a couple of 70-ish women in our church talking about when they attended kindergarten together. Kindergarten! When you are in your seventies, kindergarten is a really long time ago!
We have come to find that Roanoke Island is a place where it’s not uncommon for families and friends to be linked together for significant amounts of time; in fact, one particular family here goes back twelve generations. And the matriarch of another family actually showed us a particular place on the beach and said, “Right here is where my family washed ashore after a shipwreck.”
Her ancestors (literally) landed on the Outer Banks hundreds of years ago and just decided not to leave. And who can blame them?
To be frank, these kinds of stories tend to boggle the Collective Smith Brain a bit since Steve and I both grew up traveling and moving around a lot. The very idea of living on one island for seven or eight decades? Or two or three hundred years? Can’t. Even. Fathom.
When our family was first thinking about moving here, we actually discussed the closeness of this community and the fact that many people who live here have been friends forever. And even longer.
We wondered, “How are they going to treat people who come in from the outside, people whose roots go back just twelve weeks and not twelve generations?”
Well, we needn’t have worried. Even though Roanoke Island’s inhabitants have more shared history in their veins than we can ever comprehend, we have found them to be open hearted and welcoming people.
That open heartedness also applies to the neighborhood we live in; it’s a great place for bike riding, and dog walking, and front yard chatting. And to make things all the better, last week the neighborhood hosted it’s first annual Block Party.
One of the guys putting it together caught wind of the fact that Steve played bass guitar and so he invited him to join him and two other guys while they played a little classic rock during the party. That was an interesting experience for Steve because it took him back (in extremely loud fashion) to his high school/ college days when rock bands made up a large part of his life.
Steve’s only caveat in playing with the band was they would jettison any songs in the proposed line up that had sexual lyrics. The guys were perfectly fine with doing that and they all ended up having a grand time. (Unfortunately, I didn’t get to attend the party and hear Steve play since I was sick that weekend.)
This picture is pretty bad but it does give you the gist of what Steve and the gang looked like as they were doing their Garage Band Thing. (That’s Steve on the right.)
Another community that we’re thankful to have as part of our lives is the group of guys who serve on the church board. Two weeks ago, we put together a cookout with the guys and their wives as a farewell party for one of our board members who is moving out of the area.
Here’s Maleigha, one of the cookout attenders.
She is NOT one of the Board Members. (In case you’re were wondering.)
However, she is someone you have met on this blog before. I’m happy to report she is doing well and suffering no ill effects from her mother’s drug abuse.
This cookout proved all over again that one of the many things our church people know how to do well is to cook. That chicken, for example? It was seasoned to perfection and grilled at a low temp for two hours. Absolutely amazing.
It was a perfectly lovely North Carolina evening with perfectly lovely surroundings. . . .
. . . and perfectly friendly, Southern folk.
Here are the church Board Members, the men who Steve closely works with as he leads Manteo First Assembly.
The man on the right is the one who hosted the dinner; he owns a construction company here on the island and built his own house as well. A talented fella!
I just had to take this particular photo because I loved how Steve’s shirt matched the water in the pool. (We photographers notice strange things.)
Ever since Virginia Dare (the first English child born in America), made her appearance on Roanoke Island in 1587, a great many people have followed behind her; I’m so thankful to be one of them. Steve, Sarah, and I have come to appreciate the area’s beauty, hospitality, generosity of spirit, and especially its people who don’t close their hearts to the arrival of newcomers and new seasons.
We’ve so enjoyed getting to know people like David and Charles, the guys in the neighborhood rock band, and the darling ol’ ladies who stand in the church lobby and talk about sharing color crayons in kindergarten.
And we have especially appreciated the fact that by living and pastoring here, we have gotten to be a part of stories like little Maleigha’s, the darling baby girl who found adoptive parents with hearts as big as the Atlantic. We have gotten to see miracles of lives changed by love, we’ve gotten to take part in the ebb and flow of a community rooted in history, and we’ve gotten to be one of the numerous threads that wends its way in and out of the fabric of this wonderful island we call home.
What about you?
What are things about the town or the area you live in that make it unique? Is there a certain industry that makes it well-known? Is there an especially interesting history? Maybe a famous person is from your area?
Since I don’t get to travel as much as I used to, I love reading stories about other places—especially when those places are inhabited by wonderful Smithellaneous readers.
My hubby and I have lived in our little home outside Raleigh NC since 1979. Our neighborhood is extremely stable in the people who live here, and it’s been interesting to watch kids grow up, move away and in some cases end up back in the neighborhood. Our neighbor across the street was three when we moved here, moved away for a while, and bought the house across the street (next door to her parents) and now I’m seeing her son start middle school next year.
The area we’re in has changed so much that it’s almost scary. When there was still lots of tobacco grown around here I watched the plants that were planted by the families up the main road who are fourth generation farming the same land. They now grow soybeans (not nearly as entertaining to watch grow as tobacco) and have opened a nursery/landscaping business. The family members farming now are about my age and I think have no plans to move or quit farming.
Diane,
I think it’s great that fourth generations of families continuing to farm and follow in the footsteps of their parents. And how cool is to look across the street and the see the middle school son of someone who was only THREE when you first met her? I love that kind of continuity.
I had to think about “home” for a bit before I responded. I was born in the town that I live in now, but I’ve not always lived here. I’ve moved away…. and come back “home” 5 times. My parent’s families aren’t from here, but I AM from here. Here is Keokuk, Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi, right beside Illinois and Missouri. The last time that I moved “home” I moved into the house right next door to my Mom. My grown children live in the area, but not in this town. I have friends here that have known me since grade school and friends of my parent’s who known me since I was born. The doctor that delivered me, also delivered my first child. My family, my ancestral history, isn’t here, doesn’t go back for decades or eons or ages. But, every “long ago” has to start somewhere and at some time.
I obviously believe, feel, that this is home. It is a place that pulls to me, no matter where I go. The smells of the industry, of the rain, of the river….. they smell like home. The sounds of the river boat whistles, the church bells, the laughter of children…. they are the sounds of home. My church, the same church for all of these years, is solid and strong, like the people who worship there. My roots have sprouted here, and no matter where I wander off to, I will always be drawn home.
Dawn,
What a beautifully written tribute. I love all the life threads that have been woven together throughout the years that have created for you this place called home. I also love the idea of river boat whistles, church bells, the rain, and the river. Such evocative word pictures . . .
The thing about living in Fairbanks, Alaska, is that every time you tell someone where you live, you get the same reaction. Pretty much everyone says “Oooooo, Alaska!” and then half of the people ask about how cold it gets (which is understandable and fun to talk about) and the other half ask about Sarah Palin (which is annoying and not the least bit fun). Fairbanks (and most of Alaska) is interesting because very few people are actually ‘from’ here, and it’s a pretty big deal if you truly are a born and raised Alaskan. People move here from the lower-48 (or ‘outside’), and people move to the lower-48 from here… there’s a lot of transience, because while many people stay for several years or even decades, a lot of people eventually get tired of the winters and leave.
It’s unique and/or famous for a lot of things, some good and some… well, perhaps not-so-good. A few of note:
– sled-dog races (particularly the Yukon Quest)
– the Al-Can highway and the haul road up to the Arctic Ocean
– a plethora of mosquitoes, and lots of moose
– an assortment of ‘farthest north’ business and endeavors
– the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, and all of its associated vices
– near round-the-clock daylight in the summer, near round-the-clock darkness in the winter
– and my favorite, the annual World Ice Art Championship, for which people come from all over the planet to carve ice into amazing sculptures
I was born here, but my parents moved away from Fairbanks when I was just a couple of months old. I moved back about five years ago. It’s a great place to live, and frequently feels very much like a close-knit community despite, or maybe because of, the frequent turnover in its population.
Kristina,
I loved reading about the things your wonderful state is famous for; such a rich blend of stories and history and adventure. And to actually be one of the rare Alaskans who was BORN there? That is so cool!
I can’t quite wrap my mind around the almost round-the-clock darkness OR the almost round-the-clock light. I bet that would take some getting used to. (The light I could handle; the darkness–not so much.)
So glad you have found such a unique community to be a part of–would LOVE to visit there someday!
When I was younger, my family moved about 4 times (dad was a pastor). My husband and I moved to where we live now about 10 years ago. Our town has an interesting history. In the early 1900’s there was a pacer horse named Dan Patch, who broke world speed records 14 times. (There was a movie made about him). He was sold to a man in the City of Hamilton. The man who bought him was Marion Willis Savage. The city’s name was later changed to Savage, which is where we now live.
Sharyn,
WORLD speed records? Wow! That is one amazing horse to do it fourteen times! What an interesting back story to your town.
I call St. Louis, MO my “big” hometown. The town (a suburb of St. Louis – really only about 10 minutes away from downtwon) I live in is Webster Groves. I grew up in Kirkwood and lived there most of my life until about 7 years ago. Webster and Kirkwood are “next door neighbors” so to speak. Webster and Kirkwood have the oldest high school football rivalry west of the Mississippi. The BIG game between Webster and Kirkwood is played on Thanksgiving Day at noon – it is the Turkey Day Game – attended my thousands and many come “home” just for the game. The winner of the game gets a big Frisco Bell off an old train and it is a coveted prize – it will appear at all football games for the season of the winning team and with each touchdown – the bell will toll in celebration. The loser……gets a little brown jug! You never want to be a senior and LOSE THE BELL!!!! It is a great hometown tradition that is celebrated by generations of Pioneers (Kirkwood) or Statesmen (Webster). When my daughter and I moved to Webster someone said to her after one fateful Turkey Day game…”well, your team won the Bell this year!” Alas, that was Webster! Stephanie immediately stood a little straighter, spoke a little sharper and said…”I may live in Webster now but I will always be a PIONEER” – as my brother was (captain of the football team), as I was, as her sister and as she will always proudly be. “Our team has no fears, follow the Pioneers!”
Thanks, Becky, that was fun.
You already know how I feel about your locale.
Mary,
A Frisco Bell or a little brown jug. Hmmmm . . . I can see why everyone works so hard to get that bell! I’m amazed that they hold a football game on Thanksgiving Day. I guess all the women are just used to the Thanksgiving meal being for dinner and not for a late lunch, like a lot of people do. Absolutely loved hearing the history of the two teams and the loyalty that people carry with them, even when moving to another town. 🙂
Sounds like you ended up in a very lovely place! I’d love to visit the Outer Banks one day.
Well, about my city. Wiesbaden, capital of the Federal State of Hessen, Germany
It’s a pretty old city dating back to the Romans, about 6 to 15 AD. We’ve had quite some history, especially due to our 15 hot and mineral springs. We’ve seen many historical figures visit our city, the last Emperor Wilhelm II and George W. Bush among them, and two weeks ago the King and Queen of the Netherlands. And Elvis and Priscilla Presley enscribed their love into a Wiesbaden tree trunk: “E + P in Love”. Over time we had (and have) three members of the German Federal Government, who originate here.
Nowadays Wiesbaden, from a US point of view, is most interesting as home to the European Headquarters of the US Army.
best wishes Nadine, from Germany
Nadine,
Yep. I’d definitely say your town wins in the “old” category! 15 A.D. is older than my brain can even fathom. If you set me loose with a camera there for a week or two, I’d be one happy woman.
I loved reading your list of people who have visited your town over the years–fascinating!
Actually, you’d need about five minutes to have all the Roman stuff banned to the camera’s chip. Basically there is just one wall (former aquaeduct) left. We do have some nice castles (two ruins are 700+ years old) and palaces, though. If you want Roman stuff our neighbor Mainz (even older than Wiesbaden; 13/12 B.C.E.) would be a better recommendation, they even have a ruined amphitheater. What we do have is some nice architecture from the 19th century, that survived WWII intact, which isn’t that common.
Greetings!
What a timely blog entry about moving around and fitting it, we moving to Raleigh from Kansas City next month and just this morning I was tearing up thinking about moving again and starting all over again, and how I envied people who have lived in one place their whole lives, as my mom and sister were lucky enough to do…..but then when I read and remembered how much you guys have moved around and ended up in a really friendly place with people who have welcomed you with open arms, it made me feel a little better….The hardest thing about this move is that my kids, 21 and 25, are opting to stay behind to finish up school and that makes me cry every time I think about it!!!
Dale,
Oh, I’m so sorry you’re dealing with a traumatic move. I’m sure it would all seem much more doable if your kids were going with you but leaving them behind is enough to break a mama’s heart. Although it makes me happy to think about how much you love them since you don’t miss someone a lot that you don’t love a lot! 🙂
And I’m glad my post was an encouragement to you. Southern people are really delightful! It may take you a few months to get used to the accent but Southern hospitality is the real deal and I know you are going to love your new home. (And you will also love looking forward to the kids’ first visit.)
I live in Lincoln Nebraska. I guess the most famous thing here is the University of Nebaska and its football team.. the Cornhuskers… the football stadium has been soldout for 50 years for every home game. my son never misses a home game and has an RV they take to tailgate before every game. it is all painted up and husker red and white and even has some famous autographs on the door.
and yes I know aboutthe Koolaid festival at Hastings too
Sharon,
That just amazes me to hear of a football stadium being sold out for FIFTY years. Wow! Sounds like your son is a huge fan and has a lot of fun with it. That makes me smile to think about him and his RV and his tailgating and his autographs. Sounds like a great time!
I live in Hastings, Nebraska (population approx. 25,000) which is the birth place of Kool-Aid! We have ‘Kool-Aid Days’ every August that brings in tourists from all over. It’s a three day celebration that boasts the largest Kool-Aid stand in the world. Visitors can sample every flavor of Kool-Aid that there is! That’s our biggest claim to fame! 🙂
LeeAnne,
Hmm. I’d never thought of Kool-Aid having a birthplace but now I know!
And I’ve never heard of anyone having Kool-Aid days before, either. 🙂 Sounds like a fun tradition for a town and a company to have.
Margie,
I thought that was funny too, how most of the guys managed to dress in a similar way without any pre-planning! 🙂
It looks like the uniform is tan shorts & preferable blue shirts for the guys. Our neighborhood used to be like yours but we have lived here for 26 yrs & so many have died, a few have moved (how dare they) & the new ones just aren’t interested in socializing with the neighbors.