bdotson46-blog

[bdotson46-blog]

The most remote place I’ve been is a forest the size of Maryland with only four miles of road.  It circles Aniak, Alaska.  Fewer than six hundred people live there, but the youngest among them have set a standard for community service unmatched anywhere in America, so I wedged myself into a narrow-bodied plane the locals called “the flying culvert” and endured three hours bent like a pretzel.  We soared from Anchorage to the far side of the Russian Mountains, seeking that little town in ten thousand miles of wilderness.  My companions were mostly moose hunters.  The pilot told us we were free to move about the cabin, if we could crawl over the rifles that lined the aisle.  We were a light-hearted group, perhaps because this was the first flight in forever without a security checkpoint before we boarded.  I guess the authorities figured we carried enough weapons to protect us.      My knees were turning numb when the plane made a tight circle beneath the towering mountains and we skimmed over the treetops looking for a landing strip.  The forest paused at a mighty river that thundered past the six hundred souls who chose to live out here.  We touched down on the banks of that wet highway.  Aniak shimmered in the afternoon sun. Our group didn’t take long to freshen up.  We tottered over to the Diamond Willow café for a welcoming meal -- salmon and moose jerky, moose curry and rice, pickled salmon and Eskimo ice cream, blackberries and lard mixed with flaked white fish and sugar.  Mel, the owner, told me that in winter people drive up from Bethel on the frozen Kuskokwim River for a taste of his fabulous food.  “It’s just one hundred and thirty miles,” he looked wistfully out the window.  “In spring when the ice begins to break up, I stick a sign on the shore that says "Road Under Construction.”#travel#instatravel#traveling#travelgram#travelling#mytravelgram#igtravel#traveler#travelphotography#americanstory#vacation#sunset#wanderlust#gypsylovinlight#vibetraveldaily#adventure#view#roadtrip https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs_v2l-AbM1/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vixgv829nvkn

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[bdotson46-blog]

Time never passes so quickly as when it is in short supply. Summer is gone, but we have one more memory to build. Zoe and Aden are heading to our house before their school starts after Labor Day. We’ll celebrate their birthdays— 6 and 9 — while they’re here. I’ve often wondered why we limit birthday parties to one day. When I was constantly traveling, covering the news, my family decided that birthdays should be when we were all together. It continues. My grandkids will have at least 4 birthday parties this year, maybe more. One day is too short to celebrate mile markers with people we love. #americanstory#memories

[bdotson46-blog]

Ever since chisel was taken to slate, it has been accepted that words can and do change the world. Speeches incite, editorials persuade, poems inspire. Can photographs do the same? The power of a picture is in the mind of the beholder. It is in the end a personal relationship between the viewer and image. #americanstory#WriteChat#WriteGoal#WriteMotivation#WritersLIfe#WriterWednesday#Writing#WritingBlitz#WritingPrompt#WritersBlock#WroteToday

[bdotson46-blog]

Alaska is the only state name that you can type on one row of a computer keyboard. A writer knows that. He just does. #Americanstory#memories

[bdotson46-blog]

9 years just zipped by. Fortunately, we have pictures to freeze a few moments. Happy Birthday to my grandson Aden. #americanstory#memories#birthday

[bdotson46-blog]

In these turbulent times, we must not overlook the quiet, unassuming people who are the engine that runs America. The traits they share are the steel rails that connect this country. What follows is not my wisdom. It came from folks just like you. The ones I investigated over the past four decades, crisscrossing the country 4 million miles, reporting the American Story for the TODAY Show. I've listened, really listened to our people -- in all walks of life. Here then are ten qualities most of us have in common: WILLING TO EXPLORE: These quiet Americans face each day with the same spirit that pulled our ancestors to these shores, a willingness to explore new places and opportunities. It is part of their geography of hope. VALUE TEAMWORK: Few pioneers dared to face the dangers of the Oregon Trail alone. They knew the value of teamwork. So do their descendants. They are a giving people who work together and find ways to make life around them better. SEEK AND DO GOOD: They open their hearts and minds to the possibilities of life rather than dwelling in negativity and pity. “What can I do to help?” doesn’t have to be a sacrifice, they told me that simple little things can make a big difference in the world. FOLLOW THROUGH ON PROMISES: They honor their commitments. You could build a house on their word alone. PERSISTENT, YET PRACTICAL: Their days are filled with a “can-do” pride, but they don’t just redouble efforts when something fails. They work smart, looking for different ways to succeed. CHERISH IMAGINATION: They encourage new ideas. Doesn’t matter who discovers them. There’s no limit to what people can do, if they don’t care who gets the credit. WELCOME CHANGE: They live out beyond the limits of their settled lives, making modifications that strengthen communities. EMBRACE OUR DIFFERENCES: Differences don’t divide successful Americans. They know that input from people of diverse circumstances can help us find solutions more quickly, since each person brings a variety of life experience. They understand that one of our greatest strengths is crafting good ideas out of conflicting viewpoints. They find solutions by working together. DON’T DWELL ON LOSS: They find a reason every morning to refute failure and seek new possibilities. They do what needs to be done instead of turning away because they thought the problem was overwhelming. HAPPINESS: They search each day for what will make them smile. It is a constant in their lives. That’s been my beacon, too, all these years. I sought the America in which I grew up. It’s still there, out beyond the Interstate exit ramp, where kids are taught to help one another and make the world better. Instead of moaning about how bad things are, we need to straighten up, throw our shoulders back, heads high, chins out and remember who we are – the people of the United State of America – and live up to our heritage. #americanstory#memories#Writing#tvnews#journalist#television#followme#instafot#instalike#sport#journalism

[bdotson46-blog]

The wisdom of a former First Lady: Great minds talk about ideas, average minds talk about events, and small minds talk about people. Who said that? #americanstory#WriteChat#WriteGoal#WriteMotivation#WritersLIfe#WriterWednesday#Writing#WritingBlitz#WritingPrompt#WritersBlock#WroteToday

[bdotson46-blog]

https://goo.gl/FmG7hC

[bdotson46-blog]

So many of you write to me asking how I found the people I profiled in my book, "American Story, a lifetime search for ordinary people doing extraordinary things?" I simply don’t pass them by. They are folks nobody bothers to talk with in depth, the ones who lead ordinary lives with extraordinary passion that inspire the novels that get made into movies, that actors star in, so the media can interview them, about the people they portray. I prefer talking with the actual people. They have given me a fascinating life. May your life be filled with interesting folks. #americanstory#memories

[bdotson46-blog]

Heading to Oklahoma City to help celebrate a non-violent idea that changed our country for the better. The nation’s first Civil Rights sit-in began in Oklahoma City 60 years ago this weekend. The Oklahoma Historical Society will host a free event with music, movie clips and memories on Thursday, August 16, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City, next to the Capitol. I have an interview at Channel 4 — 4:30 to 5 p.m. — before heading to the History Center. Hope to see a lot of my Oklahoma friends tonight. #americanstory#memories#OklahomaCity#history

[bdotson46-blog]

Join me as we remember the nation’s first Civil Rights sit-in, back in a time when Clara Luper and her daughter had a non-violent idea that changed our country for the better. The Oklahoma Historical Society will host this free event on Thursday, August 16, at 7 p.m. The doors of the Oklahoma History Center will open at 6:30 p.m. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City. Can’t be there. Click on this link for a look back: https://youtu.be/0_33vXWMVUU #americanstory#memories#civilrights#oklahoma#oklahomahistoricalsociety

[bdotson46-blog]

I’ll be in Oklahoma City tomorrow night to help celebrate a non-violent idea that changed our country for the better. The nation’s first Civil Rights sit-in began in Oklahoma City 60 years ago this month. The Oklahoma Historical Society will host a free event with music, movie clips and memories on Thursday, August 16, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City, next to the Capitol. I’m flying in at noon. Have an interview at Channel 4 — 4:30 to 5 p.m. Hope to see a lot of my Oklahoma friends. #americanstory#memories#OklahomaCity#history

[bdotson46-blog]

Woodstock 49 years ago today? I covered it. If I still had my press pass, think what that would bring on eBay? #americanstory#memories

[bdotson46-blog]

People are not what they say. They are not what they think. They are not what they promise. People are what they do. #podcast #itunes#broadcast#broadcaster #americanstory#memories#youtuber#motivatinalquotes #youtube#morningshow #image #tv #live #radio #tvnews #journalist#television

[bdotson46-blog]

A Storyteller’s life. https://youtu.be/RLXnSiED7Do

[bdotson46-blog]

Travel with a storyteller. Join me for chance to gather tales you’ll be telling around the dinner table for years to come. We’ll float the fabled Blue Danube from Budapest to Nuremberg, ending in Prague. Click on this link for details: https://goo.gl/cQJmTU Act fast if you’d like to go. Call travel planner Lauren Raps today: Mobile: (917) 572-8545 Office: (203) 571-3111/(800) 322-9481 / Fax: (203) 596-7390 https://goo.gl/51Jz9U Stories only happen to people who tell them. @travelprospectcompany #americanstory#memories#danube#cruise#storytellertravel#travel #adventure #wanderlust #vacation #travelgram #explore #holiday #travels #traveler #traveller #traveling #travelling #travelingram #travelblog #travelblogger #traveladdict #exploretocreate#tourism #mytravelgram #instapassport #tourist #traveltheworld