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Sally's Diaries
"Even a torn out page speaks volumes in the story of ones life."
~ Sally MacNamara Ivey
Me
ME:
When I was just 10 years old I began keeping my own diary and little did I know then that my love for the written word would become such a passion; not only my words but the words of others who have gone before me. I've been collecting, reading and researching "other peoples" diaries for over 30 years now. In that time frame I've read close to 10,000 original diaries. I could actually say that it's been one of the greatest privileges and experiences of my life. Just recently a close acquaintance of mine said something to me which literally took my breath away and I want to share it here. It's simple yet so profound. She said, "Sally you are a secret keeper, a sacred job." I am honored to be just that and vow to keep those secrets well. And the diaries I have and will share, I try and do it with the utmost respect because to me, they are my extended family.
My Father
Great-Grandmother
MY FATHER:
The handsome man in the center is my father, John MacNamara. His brother Charles is to his right and his father is to his left. Because he died when I was only 13 years old, I didn't know my father as intimately as a daughter should or would have liked to. He is one of the reasons why I collect "other peoples" diaries. His growing up years in Idaho was made up of great dysfunction and loss and because of his many secrets (unbeknownst to me) his sister Sally (my namesake) placed all his private and personal belongings in a sealed trunk and never allowed it to be opened. It was that way for over 40 years. My Aunt Sally passed away a few years ago and the trunk.....well I have yet to find it. So I believe because of this I have a great passion to discover and preserve cherished memories; even if they aren't my own.
GOLD STAR MOTHERS:
This photo was taken on board the USS President Roosevelt in the 1931. My Great-Grandmother is in the front row, far left. The photo represents all the mothers who lost their sons during WWI while on board the great military ship, USS Cyclops, which went down in the Bermuda Triangle in 1918. The ship, including all of the men, was never found. These Gold Star Mother's were heading to France to pay tribute to their loved ones who had died on that ship. She wrote an incredible account in her diary concerning her voyage and her adventures along the way. She has even written a poem about him within her diary and the first line reads, "To you who sleep in the dark depths of the ocean."
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