For thirty-four years I stood in front of classrooms and tried to convince teenagers that the past mattered. Some of them believed me. A few became history teachers themselves, which is the best compliment I know.
When I retired, I finally had time to do what I had always told my students to do: go find history yourself. I spend my mornings in the county archives, my Saturdays at estate sales and my evenings writing here.
The Attic Archive is my classroom now — no grades, no bell, and always room for one more student.