Saturday, June 30, 2007

On the Road to Eastern NC

I am reflecting on my travels just over a week ago to Clinton, NC, which is located in Sampson County. I spoke at the Sampson County Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 21st where the county’s namesake, Colonel John Sampson, was posthumously inducted. Historian, Joel Rose nominated Sampson for this award and spoke of some of his achievements. This event took place at the Sampson County Exposition center. http://www.sampsonexpocenter.com/

It was exciting to participate in the celebration of this bit of history in eastern North Carolina. As a storyteller I am constantly reminded of the importance of history around us. Our local history is a part of our lives and helps explain how we arrived in our present day status. We, as individuals, must also remember our own family history in order to appreciate and wonder of “how and why” we are where we are today. There is so much that we tend take for granted.

It is so refreshing when I visit communities such as this where folks are so friendly and so genuine. My husband and I stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast there which was delightful. While there we visited the Sampson County History Museum in downtown Clinton. We were impressed with the interesting history that has been collected and on display within the various quaint buildings on the premises. Visit their website - http://www.sampsonhmc.com/

I kindly thank the Sampson County Board of Commissioners and the North Carolina Humanities Speakers’ Bureau for making this visit possible for me. Please contact me if you are looking to book a speaker/storyteller. If you are a non-profit organization you may contact the NC Humanities Speakers’ Bureau to obtain a grant for a speaker.
- http://www.nchumanities.org/speaker/speaker_intro.html