Gaffney and Furman Homecomings
Yesterday Oct21 I was in Gaffney, S.C. for my 40th HS Reunion. Quite an experience and grand to be among the living many of whom I have known since 1962
Here is my ending note at our website for the class which will go down in a few days: Want to add this shortnote at end of Homecoming Day. Was good to experience and remember Gaffney again on a beautiful day.
Shakespears said at 16 a boy kisses a girl and at 30 he buries his father. Most of us have buried a father by now.
I went by the Cherokee County history Museum at Central. Talked about one Tim Tyson take on Gaffney and some of the findings of G.C. Wardrep, an academic who studied the world of Gaffney that shapted most of us in some way.
I did make it to Shelby, got the large tray, all meat, and a side of slaw and I ate it all. Not sure it is what Jesus wanted me to do at this moment in my life's journey. but I cut a deal with the Devil. I don't eat that much pork everyday, and it was a Banquet day.
Came back to my sister's. Her family was on a one day church retreat, so I kinda turned up loud the Pearl Jam documentary on PBS and relished, Hearts and Thoughts Fade Away, Better Man and a great anthem for us as we near 60: I'm still Alive.
Saw Bob Dylan on my Birthday in 2003, and GillianWelch.
God Bless Yall. Hope to stay in touch, not every day, but periodically.
Hope we get some photos up here before it ethospheres in a few days and maybe some pix can transition to the Gaffneyite Facebook page; which surely will elevate to a new plateau if we share there for a larger audience and posterity.
Today I was at Furman year after my 35th there. Had a string of interesting conversations including friends in the Religion Department and A.V. Huff retired Furman History Proff and key historian for the History of the State of South Carolina.
My good friend Chaplain Jim Pitts, the son of Nixon's barber, shared with me a remark Strom Thurmond once addressed to him: Thanks for your contributions to the community.
Had the grand fortune to speak to some classmates of my hero Marshall Frady, the grandest social justice journalist of the last half of the 20th century and a 63 Furman grad.
Also spoke to the father of this year's Furman Homecoming Queen; and got an autograph from Katherine Oudin, the great niece of Buckshot Willett; and sister of Melanie Oudin the winner of the mixxed doubles event at US Open this year.
And had great fortune of watching the game with a former flanker for the Carolina Gamecocks,longtime Coach Derrick at Conway High School. His grandson is backup QB for Furman this year, and Coach Derrick was my 6-8th grade friend Tommy Brittain who left Gaffney to go to Conway for HS career, his father a noted S.C. UMC minister.
Coach Derrick and his wife were quite colorful and I shared some entertaining stories with them
Beautiful day; Furman upset Wofford in the kind of football game the sport can provide at its best by actual student athletes.
Food was good as well and none of it cost me very much. Cookie here and some lemonade there, and some great BBQ wings
Talked to Jane Verkouteren and thesons of legend Furman religion proff Robert Crapps; but I missed Gaffney and Furman's Cathy Hill, and her husband Paul Zion of the class of 76.
Talked to T. C. Smith about sawmills and SAm Britt about Dan Campbell and Bonhoeffer.
Here is my ending note at our website for the class which will go down in a few days: Want to add this shortnote at end of Homecoming Day. Was good to experience and remember Gaffney again on a beautiful day.
Shakespears said at 16 a boy kisses a girl and at 30 he buries his father. Most of us have buried a father by now.
I went by the Cherokee County history Museum at Central. Talked about one Tim Tyson take on Gaffney and some of the findings of G.C. Wardrep, an academic who studied the world of Gaffney that shapted most of us in some way.
I did make it to Shelby, got the large tray, all meat, and a side of slaw and I ate it all. Not sure it is what Jesus wanted me to do at this moment in my life's journey. but I cut a deal with the Devil. I don't eat that much pork everyday, and it was a Banquet day.
Came back to my sister's. Her family was on a one day church retreat, so I kinda turned up loud the Pearl Jam documentary on PBS and relished, Hearts and Thoughts Fade Away, Better Man and a great anthem for us as we near 60: I'm still Alive.
Saw Bob Dylan on my Birthday in 2003, and GillianWelch.
God Bless Yall. Hope to stay in touch, not every day, but periodically.
Hope we get some photos up here before it ethospheres in a few days and maybe some pix can transition to the Gaffneyite Facebook page; which surely will elevate to a new plateau if we share there for a larger audience and posterity.
Today I was at Furman year after my 35th there. Had a string of interesting conversations including friends in the Religion Department and A.V. Huff retired Furman History Proff and key historian for the History of the State of South Carolina.
My good friend Chaplain Jim Pitts, the son of Nixon's barber, shared with me a remark Strom Thurmond once addressed to him: Thanks for your contributions to the community.
Had the grand fortune to speak to some classmates of my hero Marshall Frady, the grandest social justice journalist of the last half of the 20th century and a 63 Furman grad.
Also spoke to the father of this year's Furman Homecoming Queen; and got an autograph from Katherine Oudin, the great niece of Buckshot Willett; and sister of Melanie Oudin the winner of the mixxed doubles event at US Open this year.
And had great fortune of watching the game with a former flanker for the Carolina Gamecocks,longtime Coach Derrick at Conway High School. His grandson is backup QB for Furman this year, and Coach Derrick was my 6-8th grade friend Tommy Brittain who left Gaffney to go to Conway for HS career, his father a noted S.C. UMC minister.
Coach Derrick and his wife were quite colorful and I shared some entertaining stories with them
Beautiful day; Furman upset Wofford in the kind of football game the sport can provide at its best by actual student athletes.
Food was good as well and none of it cost me very much. Cookie here and some lemonade there, and some great BBQ wings
Talked to Jane Verkouteren and thesons of legend Furman religion proff Robert Crapps; but I missed Gaffney and Furman's Cathy Hill, and her husband Paul Zion of the class of 76.
Talked to T. C. Smith about sawmills and SAm Britt about Dan Campbell and Bonhoeffer.
posted by foxofbama | 4:34 PM
1 Comments:
A Correction:
Chaplain Pitts emailed me.
Thurmond Said: "You are a credit to the Community".
Which reminds me. I need to email the Chaplain and Provost Huff about the Petrino fellow at Emory who is doing a new bio of Strom; and who gained much deserved recognition about the White Reaction to Civil Rights Days in Mississippi: In Search of Another Country.
How all that segueways into this Sats appearance of Herman Cain in the Young Republican tent at Samford Homecoming in Bham; I don't know
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