Yesterday THE coolest thing happened to me!
Some times last November, I climbed in our attic only to find a huge mess left by the roofers the year before.
Part of their work included cleaning up… or so I thought… They had already dragged their feet to come in and do the job and although they were quick at tearing down the 10 layers - yes, 10 layers of tiles! - that made up the roof, we had to call them back because they had left a mess in our lawn: strips of nails especially strewn all over our backyard and outside lawn.
I had never thought they would have left a mess in the attic which is only accessible through a square hole in the ceiling of our walk-in closet, above a ladder attached straight to the closet wall.
Not to mention the dust and pieces of woods etc.
Armed with a broom, a shovel, garbage bags and dust pan I climbed up the ladder and began cleaning the mess. There were old boxes we had left there years ago, most of which could now be thrown away.
There was also a stack of old newspapers the previous owner must have left there.
Since I am a sucker for old things, I picked them up carefully and placed them in a garbage bag of their own until I could get them down.
The more I cleaned the more upset I got as I had no idea how I was going to be able to get the trash down. I stopped soon after leaving this for Spring. The newspapers came downstairs where we were able to look at them better.
It is a series of Peru Daily Tribune dating back to 1939. The papers are for the most part March 1939 issues, with a few January 1939. I had first thought I would extract the obituaries and weddings and post them to the Miami county Rootsweb group. But life happened and it is not until this past week that I was able to make time to do this.
As I got into the pages, I realized there was much more there than obituaries. Back then newspapers contained the comings and goings of local people.
It’s hard to believe today that a 25 miles trip to visit friends and family could ever be worth mentioning in a newspaper. If that was the case, the newspapers would be much thicker – at least the Tribune…
But back then it was a big thing and so the pages were full of local tidbits with names of people entertaining friends, family, attending meetings, funerals, weddings, returning from the hospital, college etc…
At first my postings upset someone who didn’t think they belonged on the forum but I stuck to my guns as other people piped up in favor of my continuing.
I assured them all that I don’t have an endless supply, only about 10-12 issues, but would be glad to continue.
Yesterday I found one more page in the 16 March 1939 issue, that still needed to be typed. I hesitated. It was about Miami, Indiana: a small place at the southern end of the county.
But I sat down and sent the new postings to the group.
Then a few hours later, I received a response to the posting.
An 87y old lady had recognized HERSELF in one of the one-liners!
She had forgotten about this particular meeting but she had been taken back in time for a few moments…
To all those who wonder why I make time to retype an old newspaper, or to index cemeteries, or to help others find their roots without asking anything in return…
The feeling I felt when receiving this small email from a lady I will most likely never meet… That feeling is priceless… She made my day. She gave me the resolve to continue more than anything could have.
Some people think those of us who do these crazy things do it for recognition…
Not so… We do it to serve others, quietly, in the background, without expecting anything in return.
Once in a while we have these wonderful moments when our work helps someone who says thank you.
Those Thank You’s go a long way in showing us that our work is appreciated.
I shared this with Bruce because he has not always grasped what I was doing but this really hit home with him too.
I am grateful for moments like these. Few people let us know when our work helps them and it’s ok as it is not expected. There is so much joy to be felt from doing good things for people without being asked or being assigned the task!
I value the following words greatly:
“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 58: 26-29 - http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/58/26#26 )
The reward comes whether we want it or not.
Recognition is not the reward. The feeling of satisfaction in helping others is enough.
Whatever motives people have assigned to what I do is irrelevant. How I feel is not. The joy felt is real and it is good.
I was on cloud nine after getting the lady’s email! So I will definitely finish typing the news bits and maybe even look for more to continue on the same line.
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