Connecting to the History All Around Us

Just as I write about connecting to others, to a purpose, and to our environment, I try to live those values.  This past weekend, I stumbled into a wonderful opportunity to learn about and connect with a fascinating piece of the history of the town of Galesville, MD, where I have my cottage and boat.  I attended the celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the Galesville Hot Sox, our local black ball team.  Many of its players attended and told their personal stories.  The event was held in the newly dedicated Galesville Community Center, which was a Rosenwald School (http://www.preservationmaryland.org/programs/rosenwald-schools/).  I also learned that our local school was the first school in Maryland to be integrated after the Civil Rights Act.  Maryland's governor selected it because he wanted to begin with a success story and the Galesville community was comprised of 50% blue collar whites and 50% blue collar blacks who worked in the seafood canning industry.

The Galesville Hot Sox will be playing an exhibition game on August 8^th on the field restored by the Smithsonian  As a bonus, there is a women’s team, which also is going to play a game.  I love this little town and everything I learn about its history connects me to it more deeply.

What do you know about the history of the place where you live or work?  Do you know if it was inhabited by Indians, and if so, what tribes?  What did the settlers do for a living and why did they settle there?  This summer, dig a little into the history that lives around you.  Discover the feeling of really connecting to a place.  Start local and you may discover how you can connect to the broader communities that share our planet.