Again, as I have stated in my other blogs; Highlands is a quaint, resort, mountain town with about three traffic lights. It has history, it's own drama, characters, & beauty. Just like in the fictional town of "Mitford".
At the end of the last blog I wrote about some of the fun shops that are in Highlands. Since the beginning of Highlands the leaders of this small community have not allowed franchise businesses to be developed. So each shop & restaurant is very unique with there own class & style. No tacky t-shirts & souvenirs shops here.
Everyone is friendly. You can usually tell the towns people from the visitors by the towns people will say "hello", while the visitors all have ice cream cones in their hands.
A lot of the neighborhoods are outside of town. They are called Gated Communities. I finally learned that this was a good thing, especially when the leaf lookers come to town. I have never lived around so many people who own multiple homes. There home up here could be their 3rd & 4th home. When they sell a home, they usually sell it fully furnished! Meaning with linens & silverware. That is beyond my comprehension!!!
One of my favorite places to hike in the Highlands area is Whiteside Mountain. I have so many great memories hiking with friends. As we would hike, we would not only get good exercise, but solve the worlds problems in the meantime. It is just beautiful when you get up to the top. As you walk on the rim of the mountain, you can see four states on a clear day. It is especially beautiful during the Fall season.
Along the path there are plaques with information concerning the mountain, along with what you might see & even stories that involve what have happened on the mountain. One of my favorite stories occurred in 1911 about a man named Mr. Charlie Wright.
Mr & Mrs Wright, two friends & a group of young people hiked to the top with a horse drawn buggy. (I can easily tell you that this is not & was not an easy task). All of a sudden one of the friends got too close to the edge & fell to a cliff below. To make a long story short, Mr. Wright miraculously saved the man. Because of his heroic act, Mr. Wright received a Carnegie gold metal & $2000. This metal is a very rare reward, because there have only been about 16 of these given out in the country. In my opinion $2000 is a lot of money today. It was a fortune in those days! He invested the money in prime property that is now called Wright Square in downtown Highlands & the surrounding property of Helen's Barn. Through the years the barn was used for many things like square dancing, & roller skating. At the present, it houses a wonderful restaurant.
How does this affect me? During these 10 years, one of Mr. Wrights' descendants have been one of my dearest, closest friends. She is so gifted, gentle, talented & has always been there for me. Look at this special friend I would missed in my life if Mr. Wright had not lived as he was saving his friend.
It is amazing to think how our actions affect the future of others. Mr. Wright's actions affected his family tree in many ways.
This story makes me want to consider my own actions.
How do my actions, my words affect my family tree?
What am I passing down?
Material things?
Eternal things?
Negative? or Positive?
I hope-Love? Forgiveness?
Laughter?
PS-I lied. The next blog will be
The Highlands "Mitford"-not a series Part 2.
ann :)
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