What’s one of the best gifts you’ve received?

“The greatest gifts are my children and my grandchildren because nothing really matters apart from family.” – Gerry Sasnette of Hartselle, with his grandson, Nathaniel, 11

Sasnette grew up in Cullman and wants to instill things he learned from his father – patriotism and the understanding that all people are equal – in his children and grandchildren.

“I want them to be aware of what’s going on in the world. I want them to be well-read. I want them to be critical thinkers. I want them to understand that just because one person says this, that doesn’t mean it’s right – God gave us a mind and where to get the facts and make our own decisions. To be educated and knowledgeable about what’s going on in the world and, more importantly, the realization that we are a community of human beings on this sphere we call Earth, and we are, in a sense, brothers and sisters. The older I get, the more I realize that it really is our common humanity that unites us, and we’ve got to respect that.”

Gerry Sasnette hopes to pass along some of his wisdom to others, including grandson Nathaniel. (Tamika Moore / People of Alabama)

One thing Sasnette has always wanted to do is travel out West.

“I grew up in an era of westerns on TV and I’d love to go to Wyoming or North Dakota or somewhere up there just to see some of the sights I remember seeing on television – the wild buffalo roam, especially country indicative of the Old West I remember seeing as a kid.”

These are the faces and stories of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home. People of Alabama is a Red Clay Media and Alabama NewsCenter partnership.