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Born May 18, 1953; got saved at Truett Memorial BC in Hayesville, NC 1959. On rigged ballot which I did not rig got Most Intellectual class of 71, Gaffney High School. Furman Grad, Sociology major but it was little tougher than Auburn football players had Had three dates with beautiful women the summer of 1978. Did not marry any of em. Never married anybody cause what was available was undesirable and what was desirable was unaffordable. Unlucky in love as they say and even still it is sometimes heartbreaking. Had a Pakistani Jr. Davis Cupper on the Ropes the summer of 84, City Courts, Rome Georgia I've a baby sitter, watched peoples homes while they were away on Vacation. Freelance writer, local consultant, screenwriter, and the best damn substitute teacher of Floyd County Georgia in mid 80's according to an anonymous kid passed me on main street a few years later when I went back to get a sandwich at Schroeders. Had some good moments in Collinsville as well. Ask Casey Mattox at www.clsnet.org if he will be honest about it. I try my best to make it to Bridges BBQ in Shelby NC at least four times a year.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Martha's Apotheosis, Historic ReLighting of the Cricket Marquee in Collinsville, Alabama

       Congrats to Martha Barksdale as she lived to see her vision come true last night with the relighting of the Cricket Marquee. I was there and I was impressed as 300 people showed up to get a medallion, a coca cola in a 6 ounce glass bottle and some popcorn compliments of the Historical Association and Martha's Right hand helped Donzella Bobo who never stopped putting out the popcorn working right through the lighting of the marquee.

     To Martha's credit she is the only person I know in the town to own a copy of Paul Theroux's Deep South and to have read it, even the reservations about her beloved University of Alabama. According to her husband Thomas she was there as a bystander the day Wallace stood in the school house door.

    And she has read my essay on My churchin in the Collinsville BC in the UTenn published book The Exiled Generation.

     I had a good day yesterday in Collinsville. Had some spare shrimp which I added to the hunan shrimp at China House where Chen was in rare form with political insights and a little ping pong braggadocio. Had a cooling afternoon and some threatening rain clouds cooled things a little so I got downtown early for the lighting. Was there when Thomas and Martha inostentatiously arrived in Thomas 87 Ford Ranger Pickup and gave Martha some valet service right in front of the theatre.

   I guess they left the Cadillac Escalade at home.

    In side the theatre had some delightful conversations with Jeff Patton and the Edwards brothers Riley and John; talked to Jeff Graves, Emmily Carr Smith and Michelle McPherson. Saw Madison of AULD and Trussville bring out her children's dancing troup but bailed when Jennifer Wilkins took the microphone as by that time Brad Barksdale had taken my chair.

    Went outside and chatter till the program was over inside. There I had a few photo opps with Maria Moreno and her man and Sam De La Cruz, Jorge Corona's first Cousin. Then the gdaughter of the founder Jackie Weaver, Elizabeth Weaver came out and I got the historic photo adding Solomon Stanton's sister to the above. We all got a little notoriety Jan of 2015 schooling school supe Hugh Taylor on the  significance of the movie Selma; hence the historical resolution to the Wallace segregation speech.

    Elizabeth on her Mother's side is the granddaughter of a man whose first cousin below Piedmont was Asa Carter, the Klan publicist and speechwriter who later wrote the book that became a Clint Eastwood movie. Connect the dots, lots going on most folks in Collinsville didn't pick up on.

    Had a good time telling one of Uncle Fremont's best jokes to LD McReynolds son and wife--Mark Petty's inlaws-- and the Box Boys Munsey III and IV or Eye Vee as some call little Munsey who is bigger than Big Munsey, a friend of Bobby Welch.

    Even had  a rare civil conversation with Duke's Mark Morgan, father of five, whose Dad took their picture with the lighted Marquee.

    My UPS buddy Andee got there late and we took Uncle Free's joke to Jaks to share with Aunt Charlotte and Phyliss Jones.

   So I worked the crowd in good form and all was good in the world for about 90 minutes.

   I hope to get a pic to my friend Brett Morgen whose Blessings of Liberty Doc on Collinsville in 92 got him momentarily enchanted with the Cricket, then in Great Disrepair.

     There was a most historic pic taken but my facebook friends are delinquent. In meantime I'm sure there are many pix at the public wall of Auburn University Living Democracy and Southern Torch as Pastor John Morgan was clicking away. Hope to link some stories soon.

   And I will be saying more about this big night in my Mother's hometown so come back soon to this post.

    For the time being I am beginning a campaign to have Cinema Paradiso be the first movie shown when the theatre reopens at same time I am convinced Jennifer Wilkins and others will find a way to sabotage my suggestion. Such is the intrigue and drama of small town politics even in the face of a great accomplishment.

    Here is a link I will explain with lingering shadow on Collinsville, even though last night was something of a hopeful plateau, a resolution of sorts of the implications and historical legacy involved.

     http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/01/george_wallaces_1963_inaugural.html

  Asa Carter key figure with legacy in Collinsville.

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