J.B.

J.B was his name,short for Jack Bernard.We met at age 10 at school and church.He was tall and skinny.J.B.had a lot of cool toys,a go cart I remember best.It turned over with me once coming dangerously close to the edge of a lake.Few inches closer I would have been upside down in the lake trapped because getting out of the go cart wasn't easy.But this is not what this story is about.We where 17 years old and word reached me that J.B. was dead.He had been accidentally shot while playing with a gun.Walking into his house looking down at him in his casket I realized life was precious and could be taken away at any time.This next part is the truth,not made up and I was wide awake.A few weeks later standing at the front door of my house looking out the screen door J.B. drove by,his old Chevy Impala made no noise at all.he just stared at me,his face white as cotton.I made a promise then that never would I forget J.B and would think of him daily.41 years have passed.I didn't keep my promise but J.B I still remember and think of you.

Pond

Making catfish bait at the table.Flour,lemon flavoring and water.Roll into balls.It never did work for me but it was worth a try.Maybe the creek I was fishing in had no fish.Fishing in the mill pond I did catch brim.Often I think maybe swimming in the old filty mill pond wasn't the smartest thing I've done.It was loaded with broken glass and filth.Summer evenings I would watch snakes,possibly cotton mouths slide and sliter out of the pond.The pond was a barrier of sorts,a division line.One side of the pond I lived wasn't so bad,but on the other side was where all the trouble was.I remember the guys from that side where straight out of the 50's.Leather jackets rolled up bluejean cuffs and white socks.My side the Beatles where a favorite over there Elvis ruled still.

Arnco

I didn't like Arnco.Didn't like the house,didn't like anything about it.We moved why I don't know.Got an idea though.I never made any friends there.Started working in the mill 1 day before my 16th birthday.I crawled under looms with an air hose blowing out the lint,filth and snuff and tobacco juice that people spit.I was working the third shift the night man landed on the Moon.During school I got to come in a little late for my second shift job of hauling yarn for the twister operators.That was what Mom did run twisters and Daddy was a fixer.The first paycheck I got was given to Momma.She would give me a few dollars out of it. I left for Florida. We drove straight through till arriving at Tampa.The beach and Gulf of Mexico didn't impress me.After a few hours of sleep back home we went.That first summer of working bought my school clothes.Jeans,couple pair of dress pants,solid color shirts that I can't remember what they where called.Then the biggie.Alligator skin tassel loafers also got a matching tri fold wallet.I was so OCD with the way I dressed.Shoes had to shine,jeans pressed,my socks where always dark blue or black and I always used a lint roller on them,never would you see lint on my socks.Even my t shirts where ironed.I rode to school with 2 other guys .We where the only ones on the village who went to Newnan High and not the county high school.Sure was glad when I got my own car.Yellow 65 Pontiac GTO,389 with a hurst 4 speed,black interior and red line tires.It would pin you back into the seat when you hot rodded it.A holy terror on the village I was with that car.Almost wrecked it one night,going pretty fast a car pulled out in front of me,hitting the brakes hard I was sliding sideways,how I manged not hitting a row of parked cars was a miracle.My favorite thing to do was slamming on the brakes and making 360 degree spins.I know for a fact the GTO would peg out the speedometer past 120.I just realized that an guardian Angel must have been with me at all times in that car

57 channels

Airplanes,space travel and phones.

Things that have been invented that we can't live without.Things my Grandparents could only dream about.

Computers,cell phones what would the world be without them.Cars that can parallel park them self.Cable TV,satellite TV.

I remember 3 channels of TV if you where lucky and you had to get up and walk over to the TV and change channels.

Momma said she heard as a kid that one day there would be radio that you could see.

It was my babysitter.

Saturday mornings you would find me sitting on the floor with my cereal watching the Indian test pattern waiting for another day of broadcast excellence.

Saturday mornings where filled with programs like Sky King,Fury,My Friend Flicka.Saturday night at 10 pm Gunsmoke came on,I would stand in front of the TV and try to out draw Matt Dillion.I never did.

Sunday night there was Walt Disney's Wonderful world of Color
,Bonanza and My Favorite Martian.

I was 3 when Grandpa Haynes bought a TV.A floor model with a built in record player,oh yeah it was a black and white set.If my memory is right programs came on late in the day.

News,Guiding Light and my program The Popeye Club with Officer Don.There was Queen For A Day and Dragnet which Grandma and me would watch at the Ramsey's each day before Grandpa bought one.Now there are 100's of channels on,24 hour stations,stations devoted to one theme.With my remote I can lay in bed and scan the world of TV and just like in that Bruce Springstien song 57 channels and nothing's on.

Coffee

My first cup of coffee of the day.I think it's a habit that can't be broken.Grandma Haynes started me out on coffee when I was 4 years old .We where living at Standing Rock,Alabama at the time.Coffee from a saucer and cornbread with scrambled eggs that was the breakfast she would cook and till this very day it's a favorite.I had no one for friends so my imagination and dog Lassie where my companions.Every time Uncle Lavert came by I would ask for a dog.He was a Policeman in Roanoke,and a favorite person of mine.I remember he took me rabbit hunting,the rabbit ran across the path in front of us,he hollered come back rabbit and it did.Rabbit was dead now and he made me tote the little thing back home.I remember holding the poor dead rabbit in my hands,still warm,so soft,it's little lifeless eyes starring at me.Coming down the steps of the old house I walked.The yard had no grass just white sand.At the foot of the steps I stopped.Good thing I did because coiled up just inches from me was a large rattlesnake,it's tongue flickering in out,sizing me up ready to strike.It's a wonder I didn't reach down and try picking the snake up but thankfully Daddy seen what was going on and quickly took care of the problem with a garden hoe.Lassie was a boy dog but what did I know at 4 years old.My favorite TV program was Lassie so that would be his name.Talk of friends we where best of.Where I went so did Lassie.Daddy came home from work ,reaching down to pick me up Lassie snapped at him.No one would mess with me when Lassie was by my side.I fell into a drainage ditch which had a bridge over it.Stunned,laying on the jagged hard rocks and red dirt Daddy drove over the bridge not hearing my cries for help.Just like in the movies or TV program Lassie took off home and brought back help.He was my protector and best friend.Railroad tracks where close to the front of the house.When I acted up Grandma Haynes would tell me that a Circus train had wrecked and Gorillas would get me.Terrified that would calm me down.I was already terrified of Giraffes,seeing them at the Roanoke show would always send me under the theater seats.So with all this said I think another cup of coffee is needed