Telling Everything You Know

Mother, Thomas Gordon, and me

So when I told her I was embarrassed at school, Mother said, "You did not have to raise your hand at all, Margaret Jane. Just because someone asked did not mean you had to tell. Keep your hand down. Don't tell everything you know!"

In the case of the family history, I've told nothing that did not fill in the gaps between already known truths. The answers I found while talking to my cousins, the tidbits I've unearthed through research have added clarity to a cloudy story.

I'd always wondered about nuances surrounding the Gordons and the Ritchies. What I discovered brought it all into perspective for me. Sharing these stories is meant to preserve a heritage in Camden, a town I've always called "home."

While Mother may be saying once again, "Margaret Jane, you did not have to tell everything you know...," I'm trying to convince her that by sharing these stories, I'm keeping our family heritage alive, making sure our history is recorded for future generations. We are just like every other family with hidden, rarely mentioned truths; our skeletons now have been set free to dance.

The House on Harrison Street will be available at the Camden Daffodil Festival on Friday and Saturday, March 11- 12, 2016. The cost of the 8 x 10 size paperback is $20. The 208 page saga contains a full bibliography, end notes by chapter, and an index. A CD to accompany the book will be available. It contains more pictures and documents. Cost of the CD is $10.

I'll be at The Great Hall (UMC) - staying dry! See you there.
TOO MUCH GOING ON - no drop-by on Friday evening.