essays

For the past few weeks, I've been looking at old maps and wondering about the stories behind the names we find there — who put them there, what came before them and how something said often enough can become what a place is called.

Here is the church, and here is the steeple…

Last week, I went looking for Jackson County on an old map. This week, I found Cashiers. In Macon County.

An old map, two missing counties and a lake that wasn't there sent me looking for the Jackson County I knew — and wondering how many versions of this place have existed along the way.

We celebrate history in years. But that's not how we make it.

Some places are easy to visit. The interesting ones are harder to leave.

I rarely know all the answers. I'm beginning to think that may be one of my greatest strengths.

I spend a lot of my days watching connections happen — between people, businesses, visitors and this place we call home.