Blog 1: The Cabin

Picture by Alan Hicks

What makes a community a community? What makes a special place a special place? What makes something so loved by so many people so loveable?... Let me answer those questions in a way I believe I can. A community like mine is such a special place. Each little nook and cranny of Tuscarawas county is different, personable to someone, and special. These places come together to make T-County a community...

A special one at that.

Some of these places are public, such as The Daily Grind, Funday's, or scattered diners here and there, however some of these places aren't so public.

The cabin.

The cabin is my special place that is part of what makes my community a community to me. Now the question is what makes this special place so special?

I'm glad you asked... Thirty-six years ago my grandpa built a pond on some land in Uhrichsville that he owned. Then five years later the cabin was built on a hill right above the pond. It was built with beautiful western hemlock pine. Up until four years ago it didn't even have electric or plumbing. There has always been a darling little outhouse outside. It has a little wooden walkway to enter it from the driveway, and a small crescent moon is carved at the very top... To some it may just be an outhouse, but to me it represents the sleepovers I would have there with my grandpa and my cousins. We would lay out a bunch of mattresses up on the balcony in the cabin. We would jump on them, play tag, put on plays, and go go go until we finally had no more air in our lungs left to spare. We would all lay down on the mattresses, cover up with warm blankets, and listen to my grandpa's tall tales. He would tell us about his hunting trips, put on his wolf cassette, and tell us story after story... After we were scared of every animal out there from his crazy stories one of us were bound to have to go to the bathroom by the time it was time to fall asleep. My grandpa would walk us out into the dark night with a brightly lit sky from all the stars. The walk always felt so long- as if every animal that had sharp teeth was out there ready to pounce. The only animals I truly ever had to worry about though were the mice... 

That's what I think of when I see the outhouse.

The cabin isn't a special place just for me though. It's a special place for everyone that has ever been there.

Every year since 1988 the men in my family along with several friends have gone there on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and spent the night for Deer Camp. They all bring food that real men eat, they play poker, and they pull on their hunting clothes to face the cold. Some come for the food, some come for the poker, some come to hunt, but the all come to make memories, to see each other, and to be with the people they love.

The cabin, in a way, represents a community.

You see, a community brings people together, and that is what the cabin does.

Brings people together.

The cabin is a place where people make memories.

Since 1988, five proposals, a wedding, youth group outings, overnighters, and even field trips have all happened at the cabin. Every other year the family gathers with warm food, we light the fire, and spend it together under the cabin roof. Then when the spring comes, every Easter we all meet again and celebrate. We hide Easter eggs all over the place, the little ones go find them, and afterwards we all celebrate the true meaning of Easter together.

The cabin has always been a place for family.

Imagine a cold winter day, the pond is frozen over, the snow is falling, and everyone is bundled up. We all get on the four wheelers, and drive onto the frozen water. We do donuts, we do laps, and we go faster and faster. All of a sudden my grandpa and I flip the four wheeler that we are sharing... But just like all the other good things he has taught me- we stood up, laughed it off, brushed the snow off ourselves, and got right back on the four wheeler.

The cabin is more than four walls. The cabin is a place that brings life, laughter, and love to everyone that enters that beautiful log cabin. The cabin is a special place, because of the people there.

That is what community is.