“You will begin to heal when you let go of past hurts, forgive those who have wronged you, and learn to forgive yourself for your mistakes.” ~ Unknown
Long before his recent book was published, Gurney Norman recorded the story of Ancient Creek through Appalshop’s June Apple Records. He brought the cover of that LP for me to see today. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera or phone, so I missed photographing the original artwork that was designed by Gurney. It was beautiful. Based on a mandala, the center was consumed with a dogwood blossom. The story of the dogwood blossom is generations old. It’s said to represent Christ’s cross, each end tipped with blood, the center a thorny crown. The moral of that story is closely connected to that of Ancient Creek; the struggle between big money enterprise and the common man; King Coal and the Mountaineer; new ways destroying the old ways. One of the things I appreciate about Gurney is his unending passion to keep the old stories alive; to keep the Appalachian culture vivid in life and print. He is a rare soul, a true champion of Eastern Kentucky. How did I get so lucky to be his friend?
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