As a child growing up in a large family, our vacations utilized the least expensive alternatives in entertainment. With six children in a span of ten years, my parents very creatively convinced us, for example, that old cemeteries were very desirable sight seeing destinations. On more highbrow moments, Dad would spot a historical marker. With magnetic force of unbelievable strength, our Country Squire made its way to the marker, where Dad would reverently read whatever magnificent facts were told on the marker.

 While I am now revisiting the Historical Marker experience from a tongue-in-cheek perspective, it was in fact a very valuable learning experience for me. In fact, I have been known to drive off the beaten path if there is either a promising Historical Marker or an especially interesting appearing old cemetery to explore. Think about it a moment. What is significant about the often overlooked beacon of Americana, the Historical Marker?

These historical billboards connect us to history. They are placed where they are on purpose, to celebrate a significant person, event or place that deserves eternal recognition. They are beacons that connect us with our past in a positive and powerful way.

As my childhood vacations are closely connected to learning about historical happenings outside my personal life, in adulthood, I have learned to grow from my personal historical markers. While these do not dot the landscape of the country backroads for others to read, they echo through my psyche for my heart and soul to read and communicate their significance to others.

You also have Personal Historical Markers. These plaques on our beings notice and remember distinguished people, places and events of significance in our lives. Turning points. Beginnings of chapters and ends of chapters. Characters that touch our hearts.

The power of our Personal Historical Markers is birthed when we use them to ignite our purpose and our passion into compelling action. Edward Gibbon said "Truth, naked, unblushing truth, the first virtue of all serious history, must be the sole recommendation." These significant events can give us messages and light the path to our calling and to our destiny.

Determining what makes up your history, your authentic past (Mr Gibbon describes this as truth, naked, unblushing) is both simple and profound.

Take a sheet of paper, and draw a horizontal line across it. Fold it into three equal sections, which will be three equal chunks of time on your timeline. With the horizontal line as your guide, note the highlights and lowlights from your life journey so far.

What will immediately rise to the surface are the huge events. Your birth, marriage, death of a parent, graduations, divorces, births.

These markers will begin to tell your story. With each marker, note briefly either in paragraph or list form the who, what, where, when and why and in ONE SENTENCE, write the main lesson gleaned from the historical marker. What is the message of that particular historical marker? What made it so significant in both your life and the lives of those around you?

To take your journey a step further, how do your markers call you forward? Who are they calling you to be? What are they calling you to do? What is the thread that connects them all together in the beautiful tapestry that will create the rest of your life?

As the physical historical markers I so cherish awaken something in my experience about the past, what are your personal historical markers awakening in you? Johann Friedrich von Schiller, German poet and dramaticist eloquently stated "Before Truth sends her triumphant light into the depths of the heart, imagination catches its rays, and the peaks of humanity will be glowing when humid night still lingers in the valleys." Your Historical Markers are the messengers bringing forth that light.

Take the time today to begin to bring that light forth in your life. Allow your heart to speak not only to you, but to humanity as well. Allow your purpose and passion to be drawn forth, compelling others to catch your vision. See your possibilities. And a new personal historical marker will begin to be constructed for you and others as well. Light your journey now.

And then, we have these essays in the GENERAL ESSAYS category 
which don't seem to fit anywhere in particular:

That first day of school  

Moonbeams are the original fuzzy kind of logic. If you've ever seen a tree turn into a gnome, or remember your first kiss upon the sweet silver grass, you won't want to miss this nostalgic essay of a way of life that maybe only seemed to be.

Friendship, by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  A ruddy drop of manly blood The surging sea outweighs, The world uncertain comes and goes, The lover rooted stays. I fancied he was fled, And, after many a year, Glowed unexhausted kindliness Like daily sunrise there. My careful heart was free again, -- O friend, my bosom said, Through thee alone the sky is arched, Through thee the rose is red, All things through thee take nobler form, And look beyond the earth, And is the mill-round of our fate A sun-path in thy worth. Me too thy nobleness has taught To master my despair; The fountains of my hidden life Are through thy friendship fair.

A Break From Boredom  --  by Lance Nalley 

The gods and Heroes of the Ancient World 

Staunch, steadfast, loyal and true.  What better friend can a man have?

This Web is MY Web  

The Moon on Six Pence Uncle Bob was an unforgettable character who traveled the world on bargain rates and golden smiles!

Man, the Meanie of the Planet.  This is a high resolution pdf document so you can print it out and hang it on the wall.  Be sure to RIGHT Click the link, and save it to your computer.

The Almost Good Housekeeping monograph is a good excuse for the harried homemaker to put off until tomorrow all those burdens of yesteryear, and quit trying so hard.

Sex before the Sax:  The first thing I learned about Lois was she had a label for being froward.  Kids at school said she had had sex with Alfred.  Not long after I arrived, another boy came forward to admit he had made a score at her door.

God Does Not Fit  -- by Lance Nalley

Old Rattler, and the King Snake. 

Pleasures of the open fire: The Fireplace Revisited.

Don't Make Us
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