A Real Purpose
Every now and then I receive a true validation that my writing strikes a chord with readers–and it is a great feeling. Today was one of those days.
I received a telephone call from a woman who bought my book Slovak Pittsburgh (Arcadia Publishing). She said that her aunt was in one of the photographs and wanted to know how to get a copy of the image. The image was of a Slovak wedding party but the names of the people were unknown. It turns out that it was a photograph my cousin gave to me but not labeled or identified in any way. When I called this woman, she told me her aunt was the bride in the photograph and she told me the groom’s name and the names of a few others in the wedding party. When I heard the groom’s surname I realized that it was a name in one of my family lines (my paternal grandmother’s side).
I am happy that I can provide this woman with a copy of the photograph so she can share it with her family. I am also glad that I included this image in my book. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of writing these books on historical images for Arcadia–it gets old photographs otherwise tucked away in a box or drawer into a format that can be seen and discovered by folks who may be connected to the people shown in the images.
I am pleasantly surprised by this particular book’s popularity. It is a real testament to the Slovak community in Pittsburgh and the continued interest in learning about and preserving the Slovak heritage. Thank you to everyone who has bought this book.
Thanks for this delightful example showing once again why we are so addicted to this pastime. I have enjoyed meeting the many “cousins” who have found me through my family site and shared their information with me.
In addition, the network of genealogy bloggers that has developed in the last couple of years has also been an inspiration – with both research ideas and personal notes.
Life is good.