You have to remember that back when dinosaurs roamed the earth - back when there were only three major TV channels - and back when chocolate was a recognized food group – my mother would take me to the library every week. I have always thought it would be a dream come true to write a book.
So imagine how bright the future looked in January 2005. I was in the Barnes & Noble looking in the Northwest section when I saw Alan Archambault’s wonderful photo history of Fort Lewis. Click here for information about his book and the publisher.
Now, my regular readers, both of you, will remember Steve Dunkelberger, who during the Ice Age was the loyal reporter for The Lakewood Journal. Steve went on to become its editor, and has since become editor of the Business Examiner that serves Pierce and Thurston counties. Steve and I stay in touch, retain our interest in history, and both sit on the boards of the Lakewood Historical Society and the Historic Fort Steilacoom Association.
This is the year that the Lakewood Historical Society has launched a major initiative to build a collection, collect oral histories and explore development of a museum. So it seemed like a very logical time to suggest to Steve that we collaborate on a book similar to the one about Fort Lewis. Steve and I share a common conviction: despite a growing sense of camaraderie, Lakewood will be a disjointed community until people recognize what we have in common. And one thing we have in common is a fascinating history. We may have different parts of that history, but it is all our history.
Steve readily agreed, and I have enjoyed working with him. In January, June 30 seemed very, very far away.
However, as the months passed, things got pretty lively. People were great about sharing photographs and memories. At some point, perhaps when the book comes out, I will give you a full list. We are grateful to so many people. But things got busy, both in my day job and my council job, and Steve’s (he was promoted from assistant editor to full editor of his paper, for example)
What we had to do was compile, scan and write about several photographs and the story of Lakewood. By the end of it, I think we were ready to be done. We had collected or identified roughly 800 photographs. The other day, we emailed the publisher our 23,000 words about Lakewood history and FedExed three CDs with the computer scans of 181 selected photographs.
What the book project became, in essence, was a third job for me. And this while my daughter graduated from high school and is getting ready to move to … gasp … New York for college. Why, I often wondered, was I working on a book when so much is going on?
Well, the answer is that it was a mistake, of course. I am hoping the book was a mistake I had to make. I hope the book accomplishes something good – by helping to make it very concrete in black and white that Lakewood has a rich and diverse history. I hope that in its own small way, the book contributes to a sense of community. If it does this, then perhaps all will be worthwhile.
In the meantime, I hope to cram final moments this summer with my daughter, before the family on School Street becomes only three (except, I happily remind myself, during times when college is out of session and we can convince Jo to come home). And I will rededicate myself to my council role. So if I missed something you asked me to do or look into, please accept my apologies and give me a reminder. The campaigns and elections are coming up, and promise to be lively. There are many issues to deal with. Just as in the mid-90s, when cityhood was approved, Lakewood is getting pounded as the dumping ground by state government and others: for a prison, for a disproportionate number of adult family homes, for other various problems.
This is time to stay vigilant. This is the time to think ahead. This is the time to act. So after this long digression on the book, I am ready.
Round II.