Greenville, SC

As a result of a surprising turn of events, the Osbornes moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 1980. Almost immediately we became interested in the history and culture of this part of our country and began claiming it as home. However, Ron’s employer, NCR, called us to Columbia in 1983 where we lived for the next eighteen years and in 2001 we moved to Myrtle Beach so that I could serve at First UMC. During the intervening years since we discovered the red clay and textile world of the Upstate, lots has changed in Greenville. Last week we spent a day enjoying the updated version of the downtown area even on a rainy day. The new picture on the banner is of the bridge across the Reedy River Falls and this pilgrim remembering an important part of her life while looking forward to the future wherever the bridge might take her.

We visited the new Upcountry History Museum which depicts the events and resulting culture that defines this part of South Carolina. Several films and multimedia presentations provide good insight into the who and why of today’s stories. The film, “Pocketbooks, Prayer Books and Datebooks: Stories of Ambition in Upcountry South Carolina,” is excellent and a great introduction to one’s visit to the museum.

We encourage others to discover Greenville in her newest version. Then retreat to some of the hiking trails through the thousands of acres of the Upstate that have been so thoughtfully and carefully preserved. This is another story of vision by the leaders of the this corner of South Carolina that we all should applaud and emulate. Twenty-four hours in Greenville provided us lots to think and talk about as we returned to the beach.