Piney Woods Philosopher: YouTube helps cope with homesickness

By BILL COBBS/Columnist

Piney and She Who Must Be Obeyed had as usual gotten homesick this summer for Rural Retreat, Marion, Bland and Wytheville.
But this year they found an astounding cure for being away!
Piney had lackadaisically entered YouTube and had put in “Rural Retreat,“ and lo and behold, many interesting things were conveyed from the Virginia mountains down to sunny (hot!) Florida.
YouTube included a complete trip with narration by one of the Six family, who had visited because his grandmother was born in Rural Retreat.
Another film was of a mystery put on by Rural Retreat High School, and very well done, too!
A third feature focused on Tumbling Creek, up near Piney’s mountain cabin. That Web experience proved to be the most satisfying, almost like being there.
Then there was She Who Must Be Obeyed’s friend Evelyn Lahman in a shot of the Settlers Museum.
Finally, and not least, was the Marion promotional video, and the same for Wytheville, and the Indian Village of Bland!
Almost, but not quite, like coming home!
So Piney and She Googled their home places on YouTube and were satisfactorily rewarded by seeing old (but ancient!) friends still alive in Franklin County and in Hammond, Indiana!
YouTube can be a very educational and rewarding thing!

A writer, Bill Cobbs divides his time between Florida and Southwest Virginia.