"Why bother?"

That was the question that came up recently regarding "Tales of the Road-Highway 61". It came from a person in my life who always tries to "live in the moment" and doesn't have the time or inclination to "dwell in the past." I explained that I'm not "dwelling" in the past with this project, rather exploring the stories of places and people long since gone because doing so helps us, as a society, understand a bit about who we are, where we've been, and maybe, where we are going. She simply rolled her eyes and sighed. I shook my head and walked away.

Granted, some of the stories I'm writing about aren't necessarily the kind of history you'd find in a textbook, but I think they are important in their own right. In the book, "Tales of the Road-Highway 61" I include a story about a well known resort along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Lutsen was founded by the Nelson family, but if not for being befriended by a local Native American family, it is possible the Nelsons may have never survived that first winter, and we wouldn't have Lutsen today. My point is, there are countless stories of people who played bit parts in history, be it world, U-S, regional or local history, and their stories deserve to be heard. My project is a VERY small attempt to bring to the TV screen, and in book form, some of them.