Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Photos: House in Hassell

I never get tired of finding out more about my family. I soak it up, write it down, and take a picture of it. Luckily, my grandfather is also nostalgic as he gets closer to 90 years of age in December. This is just a few of the pictures during my journey home. This is the NC I see. Hassell, NC.


Arrival


Wife is connecting with the land


Side view of great-grandma's house


Inside exploring the past...carefully


Remembering


Departure


Photography: N. S. Bess and S. Bess

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30 comments:

Robyn said...

Wonderful, thank you.

Mickle in NZ said...

Thank you for sharing this with us all. Huggles and care to you and yours

MJW said...

Always a thoughtful man, you are.

Anonymous said...

I love the way you tell stories, real or fake, with pictures or words, it always draws me in. How neat to experience your past again.

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

wow
the stories i bet that house could tell

Anonymous said...

Powerful. Keep documenting, bruh. Its very motivating.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Violentlove-
Thank you.

Mickle-
Thank you for the huggles. :)

MJ West-
Thanks, bro.

Faith-
Cool. I have my first sell when I put that work out. :)

T Stephens-
You got that right.

Max-
Thank you, brother and nice seeing you.

fitzgerald said...

Thanks for sharing your cool pictures. We have to go back and visit where we came from every now and then. Blessings to you and yours.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Fitzgerald,
My pleasure. Yes, I often visit the past. It's the stuff that good stories are made of. Thanks for the blessings. Peace~

lyre said...

My family reunion is this weekend. Sadly our "Homplace" burned down a few years ago. But my son and I did visit a few weeks ago. Grounding isn't it?

BronzeBuckaroo said...

Wonderful photos! My favorite is your wife getting familiar with the land your family live on. There is something so spiritual about her actions.

Professor Zero said...

So nobody lives there now ... ? who owns it ... ? I favor renovation / rehabilitation, it looks gorgeous.

Mickle in NZ said...

My Irish Great Grandparents emigrated to NZ in the early 1900's. Great Grandpa Dickson, a carpenter and joiner, then built a house for his family. Grandpa and Gran Dickson emigrated on a sailing ship with their 3 young sons, and Gran was pregnant with their first daughter, May.The Dickson house is still in the family, My Mum's cousin and her husband now own and live in it.

Yet I am very aware that these, and my other grandparents' families had a choice and came to NZ by choice. Not enslavement, not penal servitude, not without any hope of never "getting back home"

I send sincere love and care, Michelle

James Tubman said...

man you are lucky to have a grandfather who is alive today

i know he has seen so much in his life and i know you can learn something new from him everyday

i got family from rosedale north carolina

im from baltimore and damn near everybody there got family from the carolinas

who knows we might be kin lol

Stephen A. Bess said...

Lyre-
Yes, very much so. Thanks.

Bronze-
She loves the Carolinas. She said that it reminds her of South Africa's countryside.

ProfZ-
My family still owns the land. They rent it out to farmers. I wish they would renovate the house, but...? If I can, I will.

Michelle-
Thanks for that family history and the love. You know, I feel blessed to also have close ties with my past. Yes, we were brought to America under harsh conditions, but it just makes the history and the story that more interesting.

I am even privelaged to know where some of my family originated in Africa. We know because of county court records and because family have been in the same county since the first African arrived.

James Tubman-
lol. Yes, you're right. I have many cousins in B'more from North Carolina. There are lots of Best/Bess, Lanier and Cherry who live in that city. Thanks for stopping through. Btw, I learn so much from grandpa. He's talkative in his old age. Peace~

Anonymous said...

I love the pictures of the old house-- I bet there's so much history that lives between those walls.

Anonymous said...

Wow. You and your wife have great eyes for pictures. Thank for sharing this part of your spiritual journey into your past. I guess one should never forget from where we come from - this is a question I am seriously contemplating the last couple of weeks with a pending move to Qatar, in the process uprooting my own family. Stories like this and the pictures accompanying them is one way of documenting the past for the future.

I love the RSA picnic pics. Nice to see the flag and a hint of the ANC colors on a bandana!!

Stephen A. Bess said...

closetwriter-
Yes, so much to tell. My grandfather talks about the stories whenever I visit. Thanks for stopping through.

Emil-
I often revisit my past. It's something that I treasure and will past down. As for the RSA Picnic, most of the people there were ANC. Good to see you and I wish the best on your decision to move.

heiresschild said...

what great history and photos!

Babz Rawls Ivy said...

Hey Stephen Bess!

I love these photos..it makes me think of my own Grandparents...who built their own home on their own land that is still in my family today. It is a rich history that isn't often shared.

Gosh you r site makes me happy on so many levels! and God bless your lovely wife for loving the land!

Sumeeta said...

A wonderful look at your family history. Thanks for sharing!

Stephen A. Bess said...

Heiress Child-
Thank you and thanks for coming by.

Lovebabz-
Thank you so much and good to see you.

Sumeeta-
Thanks, Sumeeta. How are you these days?

Anonymous said...

Stephen, this is amazing! I feel the same way when I go to South Carolina. There is nothing like the nostalgia in the South. How old is your great grandmother's home?

Stephen A. Bess said...

Kei-
My grandfather was born there. He was born in 1918. All I know is that it was before then. That's my next mission. Thanks.

christina said...

I am in love with the pictures! Reminds me of that show "if these walls could talk."

What touching and beautiful words you have shared with us.

: )

Cergie said...

Hi Stephen !
I can imagine you was happy and enjoyed to visit this house which is a family house, and yet I can imagine too how your grand'father would be sdisappointed to discover how this house is now. It was the case for my grand'aunt who is 91 years ols when she went and see her house where she was born : the garden for instance was quite different than in her memory

;o)

Cergie said...

Nevertheless, despite it is so old, I DO like your family house, Stephen...
It is so moving

:'{

Muriel said...

Stephen I discovered your blog on Emil's blogroll!!

Beautiful photo's and I love the way you tell your stories!!

Your blog is very inspiring!

J.M said...

This is Precious!

Love your wife's afro. I wear one of those. Hands-free, inexpensive and beautiful.

Don Quixote said...

Mr. Bess,

Thank you for sharing. Brings back TONS of memories. Some good, some well....we'll say not so good and leave it at that.

Anyway, I too grew up in the South. Mississippi. The house you have pics of looks very much like our old homestead. Though I've never actually gone inside since I grew up & left. Maybe I should? Maybe.
Thank you for allowing me to muse & visit.

Blessings,

King Tut

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