Swept by Summer’s sultry breath.
With splashing, tumbling waters blessed,
The crimson vestige of the past
Proves every day, t’was built to last!
(R Weisser 2012)
Every area has its special places that are preserved reminders of “days gone by.”
But everything we perceive revolves around our frame of reference. What we call the “old mill” was actually state of the art technology at the time it was constructed.
Grist mills were the economic centers of agricultural communities. They transformed the raw harvest into a marketable product.
In many cases, the mill owners recovered their investment by taking a “toll” of the finished product, usually around one tenth of the total output. It took many, many years to turn a profit, so the mills had to be built to last.
As a result, many of these historic structures still stand today, often serving as the centerpieces for public parks.
I wonder what relics we will leave behind to future generations. Stacks of smart phones? Fast food franchise buildings? Who knows?
Some of us continually look back. Others look forward.
But our destiny is intrinsically bound to the present.
Photo: Starr’s Mill Park, Fayette County GA
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