The stories herein are written not for those in our current time, but rather for those that may someday follow, and for a moment, wonder what the world of the past and the people that lived there were like. My family has a story written by Rebecca Knight Kennedy, the daughter of Silas Knight Sr., my great great grandfather. Her story left me astonished and grateful for the wonderfully written glimpse she offered into her life and times. The story revealed in wonderful prose how her family journeyed and labored and what were her dreams and fears in those long-ago days. In her times, the story would have perhaps been unremarkable in that it likely resembled the story of many other lives. But for those of us today, more than 150 years removed, the story is filled with 
wonderment how those hardy people accomplished astonishing things with minimal resources. My story, too, is written for those who may wonder, in another 150 years, how we functioned in our current time, what we valued, what we dreamed of, and how we viewed ourselves. So, excuse me if I seem to indulge myself to some degree in just a few of the stories in my life. I view it different, a life that followed my belief that when in doubt, do something unexpected.