(For anyone needing guidance, inspiration or mojo from their ancestors.)
"Our glory shall shine as a star on the sea, ... " reads a civil war rallying song in a newspaper clipping from 1863. The writer, Jeremiah Brown, was a union soldier and doctor who died at the age of 38. When he died, his 12 year old son, Mentor, left home to work as a printer's apprentice. He went on to eventually own a newspaper in Nebraska for which he wrote the daily column. His son Ulyses and then grandson, Mentor, would establish their own newspapers for which they too would write a column. Mentor (II)'s son was my father. He took the writing gene into a career as an information officer with the Air Force and writer of western history. Like Jeremiah, my primary work has not been as a writer. Still, I'd include both of us in a line of six generations with the writer's archetype - having an instinct to create or shape ideas using letters and words. We all have archetypes..more than one. You may have within you the healer, advocate, scientist, artist, clown, builder, leader, or pioneer, to name a few. We shouldn't be surprised when these passions run through generations, not unlike facial features seen in old photographs. Our ancestors, especially when we learn about them, can be of great assistance as we find our way. Their lives can encourage us to imagine possibilities we've yet to live. They may even confirm something our souls have been whispering to us -"write..." As I read this song, it's as if Jeremiah is speaking to me from the past, but when I consider our shared DNA, I realize he and the rest of my ancestors have been with me all along. Courtney A. Brown To send this note to a friend:
0 Comments
|
Author
"Divine" references the soul, our collective souls and the mystery of life. ArchivesCategories
All
|