It’s been thirty nine years since I loaded up most of my belongings into a homemade horse trailer and an old International pickup to make the trek from Winston County to Western Kentucky where I was to begin working in a paper mill. At the time my wife’s mother was battling breast cancer and we felt we could be of help.

In the back of my mind I thought we would probably be in Kentucky two or three years – five at the most. But life has a way of changing plans. That’s what happened to us. A year turned into five. Five turned into fifteen and fifteen is approaching four decades.

I find it odd how life has taken me on journeys I’ve never expected. Another one of those journeys I found myself on was just a week ago when I was invited back to my hometown to give a historical presentation on Winston County’s past.

Those close to me know I avoid crowds like the plague. I make a good backrow Baptist nowadays. I’m usually out of sight and never out front. But for some strange reason I accepted the invitation from Winston County Library’s librarian and put together a presentation of old photographs I had collected.

Learning how to put together a PowerPoint program was the easy part. But the anxiety of facing my biggest fear – speaking in public – was an obstacle I wasn’t sure I would be able to overcome. I was given all kinds of advice from, “Just picture everyone in the room naked.” To, “Pick out one individual and talk to them.”

Most of the people in the room were older than me. So picturing them naked was absolutely not an option. The one person I had planned on focusing on ended up sitting on the front row and to my right. So giving a presentation looking at one spot on the front right side of the room was out.

Somehow, someway, I faced my fear and made a connection with the room full of people. They were gracious, kind and interacted with me. I should have known that the people of Winston County would be a friendly audience. After all I’m related to half the county. It went far better than I had expected, and now - a week removed from the event, I feel like the room enjoyed the pictures of the past I shared with them. And hopefully a few of my stories.

I’ve always heard the things we fear the most are never as bad as we anticipate them to be. That may very well be. But I must say the people of Louisville and Winston County put me at ease and made me feel welcome. I want to thank them for that.

Dorothy once said, “There’s no place like home.” It’s true.

Thank you Winston County for allowing me to return home and visit with you once more.

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Rick Algood
November 17, 2017