The biggest piece of the puzzle so far

I started this blog out of a need to process and organize my thoughts while compiling the historical documents, researching and analyzing the social structure, and evaluating the character and actions of Jacob Meier, Jr. However, this epiphany didn't come at the same time as the decision to write the story, so I will be posting a mix of old and new discoveries until I have caught up, so to speak.

Although I thought I had a plethora, with diaries and stories of family members, deeds; all I had from Jacob was an abbreviated journal. From that, and interviews with Jacob's daughter Ella, and some of his grandchildren, I found the things I had been hoping for in a lead character. Strength, cunning, the ability to think under pressure, a strong marriage, determination, and the ability for self sacrifice. I also had the hunch that he was against the communist/socialist revolution, as he had made the decision to leave Russia, but to what extent? I also felt there was more missing from the narrative, something that may make it vivid in my mind, and help the plot and dialouge and words of the story flow from my mind.

A few weeks after I began researching, an interview with Cousin Larry finally convinced me to write to Cousin Tim. I'll be honest, I wasn't as familiar with Tim, having only met him when I was a small child, but I took a leap of faith that the reception would be welcome. I shouldn't have been so surprised that he was helpful and sent me the translated journal of Jacob Meier; after all, he was family. What he sent was amazing, and overwhelming, and I was beside myself, as when I read all the entries, I was overjoyed. As I wrote in a letter to my family, only choirs of angels could have described how I felt as I read and re-read the journal entries. I found not only was I right, but that he also described his fears, his love for his family and God, his shortfalls and determination. This journal was written when he was an old man, so I'm sure the family thought some entries seemed a little senile, until I explained that many journals I have read are not in chronological order, that some of the seemingly paranoid passages about communism weren't attributible to senility but to the psychological damage inflicted by soviet government of the time. Put in historical context, this journal is quite lucid, and gives an account the correlates well with other family member's recollections.

That night, I was so emotionally and mentally exhausted, I could hardly sleep. This journal is key to understanding Jacob Meier, and I had hit the proverbial motherlode. Even now, I still delight in the discovery, and keep finding new intrigues every time I read it.