Eureka!
What Prospectors and Writers Have In Common.
Have you studied the rich history of the California Gold Country? James Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848. Soon after, people from around the world came to the region.
Johann August Sutter, better known as John Sutter, had his Fort in what would later become Sacramento, California. My wife, Diane, and I were on a trip in northern California on our way to the Gold Country when we stopped by the Fort.
We were looking for and found a large tree with a small plaque inside the Fort’s front gate. The plaque explained how the tree originally came from the city of Kandern, Germany, where Sutter was born. Diane lived in Kandern where she taught three years at Black Forest Academy. While there, she heard the story about the tree from her landlord who owned a nursery. Prior to World War II, the people of Kandern sent a sapling as a peace offering, and it was planted at the Fort. My wife and I also visited the house where Johann August Sutter was born in Kandern. We saw the small plaque identifying it as his birthplace.
As our trip continued, we explored the Gold Country. I could feel the excitement of the early prospectors. As a writer, I identify with those known as the 49ers, who arrived in 1849. Prospectors and writers are dreamers. Prospectors and writers are optimistic. Prospectors and writers work hard. The prospector looked to find gold. Writers are constantly on the lookout for a golden idea.
Both prospectors and writers define success when they use the word, “Eureka,” I Found It! Prospectors hope to strike it rich. Writers look for just the right word or phrase, the perfect main character, a great villain, a solid supporting cast, and the perfect story arch. Meanwhile, nonfiction writers try to tell a true story in the most captivating way.
When everything is going well, it is a great joy. Yet, when faced with disappointment, both prospectors and writers have a choice. They can keep searching, keep going, and never give up. Or they can stop.
If you identify with either the prospector or the writer, never stop in your quest to one day shout, “Eureka!”
Tell me what you think below and please join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.
