Down Home

This doesn't have a whole lot to do with high school, but if I toss my Loudon memories up and let them land where they happened, they will cluster around several areas.

The first place has to be the baseball field and the area around it. From playing baseball there as a kid, to being literally run over by some kid on his bike, to going to the rodeo when it set up there during some summers. But it’s not just the field; it’s the places around it too. Just across the creek in left field are some large white rocks. David Ridings pulled me out of the creek there one day when I came very close to drowning, and I bet he probably doesn’t even remember doing it. There was a skating rink just outside the ball field for years. I couldn’t skate but it was still a great place to hang out, listen to the music and watch those that could. Across the little lake at Riverview Baptist is where I attended church, even up into high school. A little further away at the old ferry was where I was baptized. That was also the spot 2 guys I knew did drown When I was very young we lived in a house at that old ferry and I remember the Coast Guard docking there.

The next place would probably be down town. We’ve already talked about how it would fill up on Saturday mornings and I would go there to see if any of my friends from “out in the country” had come to town. There was also a fair of some sort that used to set up in the courthouse lawn during the summer and one of the highlights would be watching people trying to get money from the top of the greased pole. Once when I was about 5 or 6, I was in the old 5 and 10 cent store (I don’t remember why I was alone) but I saw this large multi-colored balloon and for the only time in my life I tried to steal something from a store. The guy who ran the place saw me though and grabbed my arm. He held me there and signaled for one of the policemen who used to walk up and down the streets. That cop scared the living daylights out of me, but he was effective since I never tried anything like that again. Richeson’s soda fountain was another favorite place. It was always good for a double scoop of chocolate.

The area around the old grammar school holds a lot of memories. At various times I played in that area with Doug Christian, Ann Jaynes, Cynthia Blair, Mike Littleton and Paul Scott. And Tim Brantley too, who for some of us was the first realization that our classmates wouldn’t last forever.

There are other places too. The woods behind the Junior High School where I cut school a few times just to hang out or fish. Or around Steekee school when I used to run around with Mervin Cook. That sure was a long walk from town. Or Notchin Hill, where I camped a few times with a church group as a kid (one time actually set my sleeping bag on fire), and then getting to know it all over again later for reasons other than camping or church groups. :)

You know, there is one thing this blog is getting accomplished. I’m beginning to think I’m long overdue for a visit down home.