The way ideas work with me is that they come in a rush from an unknown, but kindly, source. Usually, it's batches: two or three in a delightful collision with a title following soon. The Famous Roanokers started on June 17th, a lucky day, of I can't recall which year, when Rudi on Roanoke's City Market made a cane with the date of the peace vigil I had just attended. This was a silent standing vigil for one hour during which time I would look up at the Mill Mountain star and reflect on the past events of my life that were so important to only moi. When Susan asked me to make some tags for her store, the idea came to me of quoting people I knew at the City Market as to what they thought Love was. I labelled the tags with the brand, "Famous Roanokers" because to me they were stars. What they said was as important as any great writer or celebrity philosopher I had encountered. Then along came the idea of making a little book on the order of a children's book with some simple drawings and those quotes. Like many of my book ideas (remember Hi Ann about a woman's letters to Ann Landers--that one still makes me laugh! and the one about the friendship between a racehorse and a chicken or the tender story of the walrus who loved yoga?) these projects always stayed in the Draft stage. Famous Roanokers never found its way to print. However, in subsequent years, my e-mail friends would find anecdotes about one of the FR's in the Inbox. I have a great nostalgia for these luminaries on my journey. They light up the night sky in constellation patterns I wish you could see. There's Gypsy Woman! Look, the Mermaid! the Cane Maker's Wife! the Wool Spinner! the Ladybug Sports a Goddess Necklace! the Dog with Coconut Breath! My wish for you, Gentle Readers, is that you always have such Famous Ones on your journeys, too!
