I may not always show it, but I have a great appreciation for all of those who have walked ahead of me. When I am tempted to be aggravated at the senior citizen driving so slowly in front of me, I try to remind myself that this could be one of the men who paved the road. I try to remind myself the driver could be a teacher who gave selflessly. I try to remind myself the driver could have been a parent who labored tirelessly to bring his children up the best he could.
I have these thoughts when I look at old pictures, or walk through cemeteries, or see the names of the streets I drive over. History is not written only by presidents, kings, and generals. Everyday people make history one moment at a time.

an excerpt from the introduction to Dennis Garrels' Macoupin County On Route 66.