At first glance, the tall tales of Grandpa Bobby’s shenanigans don’t seem that important. But for many of us, our fondest personal memories come from sitting atop grandpa’s knee, or at great-grandmother’s side.

In and of themselves, those individual stories may not be historic, but collectively the stories tell our history in much more personal, touching way than any history book ever can.

Each of those stories is a thread. By carefully weaving the threads together the cloth of history is revealed.

Not so long ago, it was quite common for families to sit down and talk to one another.

Unfortunately as our worlds become more rushed and filled with technology, those important conversations have fallen by the wayside.

And so has a great deal of our history.

How much do we really know about our relatives from just two generations back? For most of us the knowledge of our own family trees is limited.

Volunteers of a new project hope to preserve our oral history before more of it is lost.

It’s a daunting task.

Southwest Mississippi is filled with stories.

We’re only a few generations removed from such historic periods as the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War I and II and the Civil Rights Era.

It’s crucial for our community to hold on tightly to our history, not to dwell in it, but in order to learn from it and through it.

We encourage people to volunteer to help with the oral history program.

Grandpa Bobby is worth it.