This may seem obvious to most folks, but being from the most northeastern edge of the Ozarks, I always considered Arkansas to be part of the south... However, this fall I took a class at MSU called History of the Ozarks and that is when it became blatantly obvious to me that Arkansas has as much right to the glorious Ozarks' title as any county in Missouri.
The image I have attached to this post is from the fellow who taught the MSU class, I will let him know that I have posted the picture. If he requests that I take it off, I will oblige. I don't know if he will though because I think the map can be traced back to several different sources. However, I am certain the coloring of said map can be attributed directly to my professor's artistic skills.
Perhaps I should have started my blog with a little background regarding how I decided to even start an Ozarkian-based blog because anyone who stumbles across this site may wonder why I would take time to post information about the Ozarks.
It started out a little off-track. I was recently discussing my teenage son and my inability to find his passion in life. We have tried everything and I have yet to introduce him to the thing that he obsesses about. This conversation led me to a little bit of self-evaluation. What is my passion in life? I don't care too much about things my other friends are doing, such as quilting, knitting, crocheting, weaving, sewing, or any other hobby that includes fabrics and thread. I do like to write, a lot. I like a little gardening, but don't go overboard. But, what I love the most, what excites me every single time, is a road trip through the Ozarks or an article I have run across in some old musty smelling magazine that gives me insight to some building or event in the Ozarks. I am passionate about the land that gives me life.
Something else that I learned in my History of the Ozarks class is that there are two ways of telling the Ozarks' story: factual history and folklore. Sometimes these two genres cross over each other, but sometimes they adhere to their own distinct conventions. I will always do my best to distinguish which voice I am speaking with.
