I Am A Vermonter

I read a book a few years ago which stated quite emphatically that it was impossible to be a 'Mainer' unless you had not only been born in Maine, but that you could claim to have lived there all your life and have at least 3 generations of ancestors who had also been born in and lived in Maine.  Even so, the people along Rt. 1 in southern Maine were suspect, since they had been tainted by the proximity of New Hampshire and Massachusetts!

 

With the mobility of our society it has become harder and harder to find people who fit these qualifications anywhere, even here in Vermont.  There are a few people, don't get me wrong, but people move around all the time for the sake of school, jobs and relationships.  I myself have a hard time claiming any one place as having 'grown up there'.  An Air Force Brat, we lived in Maine, North Carolina, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  My dad retired to Massachusetts and that is where I graduated from High School, went to college and met my wife.  Both of my children were born there.  But to each of those places I was, as we say in Vermont, a 'foreigner'.  I always felt out of place.

 

So, what place can I claim affiliation with? New England, certainly. Except for four years in North Carolina...a little slice of Hades for me...I have lived somewhere in New England.   (New England for me, being a true Yankee, the western and southern edges are defined by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont!)  I have, however, found my true home in Vermont.  This is not a home defined by birth, since I was born in Maine.  I did not graduate from a High School in Vermont, nor did I go to college in Vermont.  From the first days we lived here my wife and I felt, somehow, that we had finally come home.

 

I do have one overriding claim to Vermont that people born and raised here may not have.  I CHOSE to live here.  I made a conscious decision to live here.  Even in the hard times...I have been laid off three times while living here...I did not move away.  I love the people here.  Not the 'foreigners' whose 'foreign-ness' is defined by the high-handed assumption of city-fied superiority and who would move away at the first chance for a warmer climate or a better job, but those people who have worked hard to stay here despite the challenges.  Many of those old-time Vermonters are being priced out of the housing market because  'out of staters' are driving prices up.  But still they stay and struggle on.

I love these people who know what a 'deer camp' is, and first day of deer season is practically a state holiday.  These are the same people who still speak in local metaphors which we the locals all understand but sound like gibberish to out-of-staters.  They have a huge sense of being very independent; Vermont was, along with Texas and Hawaii, an actual sovereign country before becoming a state.

Vermonters are those people who, like one of my brand-new neighbors in late 2000, stopped his pickup truck and pulled me and my UHaul trailer out of a ditch and refused to even talk about me giving him a twenty-dollar bill.  Why?  Because we were neighbors.  People like the guy who gave us a gallon of freshly boiled maple syrup, just 'because'.  Like my next-door neighbor who gave me his friendship from the very first day, and who I was honored to be asked to perform his funeral when he died of cancer.  People like the wonderful sixth-generation former dairy farmer in my church, who along with his wife would give you the shirt off his back if he could help you.  Or the 'new' Vermonter who along with his wife recently became American citizens, and came over with another friend  to help me cut down and limb several hazardous trees in my yard...and wouldn't even stay for lunch.  We all need more friends and neighbors like this.

 

Abraham was promised a land to be his, and Moses led his people to a land 'flowing with milk and honey'. 

 

So, I am a Vermonter.  This is my 'promised land'. I chose to live here.  And that makes all the difference.

“The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’"  Gen 24:7 (NIV)

.

Celebrating a heritage

Today as I came in to my office I was wearing something a little bit unusual.  My normal office attire was supplemented by my Scottish tartan 'plaid' over the left shoulder, pinned in place by a brooch, showing the crest of the Gunn clan of which the Mann family is a sept (allied).

 

Photo from "Sportkilt.com"

A great source of kilts and accessories!

 

A 'plaid', by the way, is not what we today would think of when we say something like 'a plaid shirt', a criss-cross pattern of colored lines.  'Plaid' is the word used in Scorland for 'blanket'.  It is usually done in the clan tartan, but does not have to be.  In olden days it was literally a blanket matching the kilt and thrown over the left shoulder; in VERY olden days it was attached portion of the kilt which was left over when the kilt was put on.  Modern versions are smaller and more symbolic than practical.

Why did I choose to do this today?  Today is January 25, the birthday of the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns.  Traditionally those of Scottish lineage would celebrate the day by a special dinner in the evening, and oftentimes would wear their kilt or other Scottish attire during the day.  My plaid and brooch are my nod to my Scottish roots.

This nod to my roots is something which we as Christians should take to heart.  There are many days we could celebrate as Christians and in a Christian manner.  There is obviously Chrismas, and Easter.  Thanksgiving, along with some lesser known days such as Reformation Sunday, Pentecost Sunday and Ash Wednesday. 

Perhaps, even more so today, we should focus on celebrating our Christian faith and our history on the ordinary days.  This last Christmas my wife gave me a ring for my right hand which  features a prominent cross on a shield.  That ring sets me apart, reminds me of my heritage and inspires questions from people around me.

What heritage are you celebrating?  Do you celebrate Jesus Christ as your Saviour every day, or just on special days?

"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance."  Exodus 12:14 (NIV)

.

Practical uses for a Family History?

Back when I was attending college, oh so long ago, I worked in a library. One of my friends was about 20 years older than I and he was in charge of what we called "Special Collections". This was the room that contained all the local history, newspaper microfilms and genealogy resources. My father and I began an adventure, courtesy of my friend Walter, which has lasted a lifetime...well, a lifetime and a half since my father has now passed away and I have not as of the time of this writing! We started tracing the history of our family.

As any person interested in family history will tell you, you'll always have those family members who will ask, "Are you done with that family history yet?". That question will make the genealogist's eyes roll because there is no such thing as a 'complete' family history! The other question the genealogist may encounter is from those who wonder, "Why do you want to know all this stuff? It is all past and not of any use." I propose to suggest some uses for your 'useless' family history.

A genealogist thrives on obscure documents. One of the most useful of those documents is the 'Death Certificate'. Usually the certificate will have on it a listed cause of death and an age at death. Combining your family history chart with a cause of death for each of your ancestors can show you interesting patterns. Some of these patterns can be life-saving. For instance, noticing that your lineage includes a history of certain kinds of cancer or other diseases may indicate to you that routine exams should be targeting these for early detection. Even a chart going back for a very few generations can be helpful.

Along with knowing the causes of death for a few generations it may be possible for you to compile known non-fatal diseases and illnesses for at least two generations in either direction from your own. For instance, if your grandfather had asthma, two of his children had asthma, four of their children as well, you now have a traceable connection. The same can be applied to illnesses like diabetes, arthritis and heart problems. Many genealogy programs have screens especially for keeping track of this kind of information. Be aware that sometimes such issues are sensitive, so don't publish data like this indiscriminately.

Another use for family history can bring you financial rewards. For instance, connecting your family tree to certain events such as the American Revolution may help in finding money for college. The Daughters of the American Revolution site states, "Any woman is eligible for membership who is no less than eighteen years of age and can prove lineal, blood line descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence", and there are scholarships available only to members of the DAR. (source: http://www.dar.org/natsociety/edout_scholar.cfm, 1/17/2008) Likewise, connection to specific ethnic groups may help in the same way if the connection is close enough.

A third use for family history may be a little more intangible, but still valuable. Having an interest in family history promotes an interest in history in general. It may give your children topics and stories to build upon for school assignments. It may build your general knowledge of subjects such as writing, history, math and technology.

In terms of ego-building, it is always nice to be thought of as the 'go-to' person for something. Rarely are there more than a few people in a family really interested in such topics, so you will likely be the instant expert. If you want to carry it far enough you can even write a book on your family! Just be sure to keep the juicy but controversial bits from the last generation or so properly private or you'll be the 'go-to' person in other respects.

There are many uses, very practical uses, for family history. If you haven't started yet, now is the time to do so. People die, and with it their first-hand knowledge. Pictures and letters are destroyed by accident and on purpose. Homes are sold, people's memories fade. You can't recover these things later, but if you start preserving them now you will not regret it.

Happy hunting!