I wrote an article in the early 1970s about an army general from Thailand. That was before computers and I do not have a copy of it. I am hoping someone out there has a copy, perhaps you have a child that went to school with one of the general’s children here. I want to share that fascinating story about Fayette County’s association with Thailand since 90 percent of current county residents have no clue. Sure hope someone out there can help me. If you can, please email me at cary5025@icloud.com.
I have always been a good speller. That is, until the last few years. Hardly a week goes by now that a new word surfaces and I have to look it up. How many of you know the spelling or the definition of: exculpatory, emolument, monetized, palliative, populism, pejorative, de minimis or the meaning of: the theft of intellectual property or the term, lacking candor.
There aren’t too many times in my life that I have kept my mouth shut. Several occasions come to mind: when we were working on the outdoor play in Peachtree City in 1976, a number of descendants of the original Chief William McIntosh came to town and one evening were all sitting in my living room.
They were deep in a discussion on whether they had any rights to claim receiving funds from oil drilled in the Gulf of Mexico (I think they decided to not pursue the matter); when the descendants of the Mexican orphan, Francisco Hidalgo, was brought to Fayette County after the Mexican American War in 1846 by Robert Holliday had a family reunion in Butts County and I was privileged to be invited to attend; and recently at a lecture of a man speaking on “The Trail of Tears” spit out a bunch of crock. While I did, indeed, keep my mouth shut, I think he could tell by the expression on my face just what I thought of his lecture.
Times I have felt quite privileged: one summer I was down in the Ebenezer Church area and saw in the same hour, one red fox and one gray fox; the fact that I have kept a Christmas cactus going that I brought back from Ohio when my dad died 35 years ago; and at the 50th anniversary of the Fayette Chamber two years ago when it gave my name to one of its awards.
It’s embarrassing but I’m going to share with you the first question I was asked right after being named the County Historian in 1981.
I saw some folks I was pretty sure were visitors one spring, walking around the old county courthouse.
Feeling it was necessary to welcome them, I slipped over and asked them if I could help them with any historical information. They asked me the horticultural name of a cherry tree that was blooming nearby.
Yes, I failed to be able to answer that first inquiry.
