We Stay for the History

     

     I have a love for history.  Not just Goose Creek Island history, but anything historical.  When I am involved in some research, I like to warn people that I am on a mission.  I become entranced by the quest to learn more, to find another clue that will lead me to the next snippet of information.

     I think I got this from my Granddaddy Mike.  He was an avid reader of anything and everything.  Whenever I wanted to know something, he was always telling me to go get the encyclopedia, a map or dictionary and “look it up”.  Usually he would be there to help me understand or to discuss it with me.  He always said that if you read, you learn.

     But history has always been my ‘forte’.  When it comes to Goose Creek Island history, I have learned that we are shaped more by the past than we realize.  Events that happened so long ago makes us think about how things got to be the way they are today.

     Countless events have created Goose Creek Island to what it is today.  The things we say, do, eat and believe has accumulated from our past to present.  It probably took years to determine that eating oysters made us “fancy” to some people or that picking crabs was an artistic talent. Things develop slowly over time.

     History is a part of our present experience.  In our communities on the Island, we have some folks with long memories.  They know how certain things began or can at least give an opinion of how.  The unfortunate thing is there are so many of those folks who have passed that had a vast knowledge of our Island history.  A constant shifting of characters has become harder to hold onto in our shared pasts.

     Most of us from the Island have known each other since birth.  We live with accumulated history from living and being with each other in our confines of isolation on this Island.  Our connections and stories provide layers and a backdrop to daily life.  You look at the Goose Creek Island Community Center and you remember that the school was there.  The vacant ball field reminds you of the broken wrist you got from a baseball game.

     It can be tough living with everyone in a place like Goose Creek Island.  It’s hard to escape from a reputation.  Imagine living in a community where at 70 years old you still have to deal with the nickname you earned from elementary school.   We all have things we’d rather people forget, but with the bad we pay for keeping the good memories.  When it comes to long memories, our Island has nothing on other places.

     So when you and others begin reminiscing about events or people from the Island, remember that an active presence of history is often the foundation of our identity and everything that makes a place important to us. Life on Goose Creek Island is not always easy.  There are more places to live if you want convenience to shopping, schools or doctors.  We stay here for the people, the memories, and the stories.

     Whether we realize it or not, we stay for the history.