The old graveyard by the abandoned church we have to pass on our way to the grocery store is said to be haunted. Some folks claim they’ve seen the spirits lingering around, and there is even an account of a gathering that took place one summer night when it was reported the spirits were playing poker. I don’t believe it, but it’s still a favorite story that’s often told around a cozy campfire. In another of our community’s favorite legends, Brian McNabb holds the record for having the most teenagers stuffed into his trunk at the drive-in theater, and everyone remembers the ice storm of ’82 that brought down the roof of the high school.
So many historical events have happened in my little hometown that it’s hard to recount all of them. There is, of course, that matter of being known for the first and second battles of Manassas during the Civil War. It’s true that most of the country knows my hometown of Manassas, Virginia, from a historical viewpoint, but I think it’s those hometown stories that make the place personal, that makes it my town, my home.
Father, thank You for our towns and for the connections that turn them into home. May they be filled with love and memories of famous moments in our lives. Amen.
