Just a Poor Ghost

“Time is like a river made up of the events which happen, and a violent stream; for as soon as a thing has been seen, it is carried away, and another comes in its place, and this will be carried away too.”

–Marcus Aurelius

As always, I intend to sit down to write, and inevitably time slips through my fingers, and what was just a week or two easily turns into months. But it’s high time I finally catch those of you who so sweetly asked up on the state of my adventures, journeys, and heart. It’s strange, to write about myself, as I usually like to stay as a ghost in the background, or merely report dreams. Thank you to all who have encouraged me and inquired; I’m sorry if I kept you waiting.

This might be the longest and most image heavy post I’ve ever made, but there are some stories better told through pictures rather than words…

There’s a myriad of reasons why I’ve taken so long to write, some of which I’ll touch on and some of which shall remain close to my heart. There’s one very “special project” I’ve had the privilege to “work on”, if you will, that has been the most important: Kelsey McGee

Kelsey truly deserves her own writeup, and she will get that eventually, though as I write, her story continues to unfold. The journey thus far with her has been nothing short of miraculous, though filled with blood and tears, truly. We never gave up hope, even when many doubted us and told us that there was no hope left to hold. And, to make a very long, powerful story short for now, this amazing pup went from a death sentence, with no chance of walking again, to romping through cemeteries in New Orleans within a year. All she needed was a few people in the right places who believed. Her journey has taught me so much more about my profession than I ever thought possible, and I will be forever grateful for the role I was able to play in her healing.

The past 3 years, as they’ve streamed by, also brought the return of love to my life in ways I never thought possible or imaginable. I sometimes still wake up not quite believing it, and thankful every single day. I’ve never had a more beloved partner in life and creativity, and our adventures and creations continue to grow. There are passion flower vines, one Georgian, one North Carolinian, that twine their way through the gaps in time and space.

As for all the moments in between since I last posted about my life? Well, I’ve seen Wilmington, Georgetown, New Orleans, Mobile, Orlando, Greenville, Murrell’s Inlet, Macon, Augusta, Pawley’s Island, Valle Crucis… So many beautiful places and beautiful memories with many of my favorite people. Adventures with my little Liam (including his first Disney trip and swimming with dolphins!), my love, my best friends… It’s better shown instead of told:

I’ve also been very busy returning to something I thought might be gone from me forever: art. Somehow, I’ve been lucky enough to join in on some amazing artistic opportunities, from graphic design to videography. You can catch our YouTube channel, Grave Talks With Shannon Scott, to see our episodes and video shorts. I’ve had such a phenomenal time editing and creating content with my beloved partner in crime, and our first episode from New Orleans will be airing soon.

Another journey I’ve taken is that of burgeoning researcher and storyteller, though I use that latter word very loosely because I am nowhere near the experience level of the wonderful people I have had the honor and privilege of working alongside over the past year. It started with a heartfelt and tearful story at the Hartmann graveside last year, and has brought me researching and giving talks graveside, in French and English, with the family of Nathanael Greene alongside some of Savannah’s finest historians this September. It was a beautiful day, and a culmination of efforts from the fantastic “Greene Team”.

And last but not least, we’ve started a garden and raised some ducks alongside. The ducks bring such joy and are so funny to watch. We should have our first batch of eggs in the coming weeks, and I look forward to collecting that first reward for our hard work with them. I built their duck coop by myself, which was its own triumph and experience.

The garden has been a serious learning curve, and I’m glad to have expert advice on hand. Without his help, I doubt we would have the small harvest we did. Even so, we managed to grow cucumber, cabbage, eggplant, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, and corn. I learned so much though, even with setbacks, and I’m eager to improve next year.

And so, with all of that being said and shared, I think we’re caught up to my life in medias res. I have so many projects currently that I’d love to share, but they’re not ready just yet. Perhaps I’ll write of them another time, be that weeks, or another 2 years, as the river of time winds on.