Last day of summer, first day of Fall

      Yesterday on the last day of summer I turned up some sermons of the Great Frank Harrington, legendary pastor of the Peachtree Prez USA chuch in Atlanta the last two decades of the 20th Century. I was hoping to find his six part series on the Prodigal son from the 80s, but most of the available sermons were in the nineties. I did watch a good portion of his sermon on his next 20 years at Peachtree. I think he died of cancer before the end of the Century.

   I called Jack Causey who was at FBC Gaffney early 70s. He likes some good stories and I shared some of Frank's best. Also attempted to get word to Jo Cobb who was at Agnes Scott in the fifties. The RA Camp in SC is named for her family, from land they donated in Pickens County to the SC SBC.

    Last couple months Ive become enchanted with John Prine's song Summer's End. Kind got me melancholy as the last few months have been a struggle, kind of a disappointment in spirit and energy as I had looked forward to some delight getting back on the road again with a vehicle. I figure I got about seven good years left , if that, and was hoping to be in better spirits.

    Not asking for sympathy as I have some episodes of light heartedness. But the overall mood edges toward despair and melancholy interrupted by a good bite of BBQ here and there or some pizza or a surprising conversation.

    Plans are for Bridges BBQ in Shelby NC on 74 Oct 2 with my brother and sister. Billy Graham loved the place. The Foxes first set foot in the joint in April of 62 guests of James Worthy and his wife, at the time deacon of Bethany Baptist Church in Gaffney where we'd been about three months in my third grade year.

     This mood has otoh gotten me in proper disposition for the 8 hour rivetting four part documentary on Ali by Ken Burns. I thought I knew the story but turns out I knew little of it. Fascinating to try to remember the dates of the major fights with what I was doing, what grade I was in at Central Elementary, Gaffney High , then Furman. I do remember the Day after the Thrilla in Manilla, I was playing tennis and a fellow who I knew but rarely spoke to got a laugh , hadnt heard, Ali's quip after the Fight :"Let All Nations Declare I am the Greatest."

   I called Congressman Norman office this morning and talked to Wofford intern Adrienne. Thought I might talk to Riley of Lula Ga and SGA President of a Penn State Satellite but talked to Adrienne instead. With all of Norman's mischief with Critical Race theory, would love for him to declare he will publicly shame Gaffney High School if they show the Ali doc and the doc on Isaac Woodard and have open conversations about the movies. He is a joke of a Congressman if he does such a thing. If he approves then all his mess about CRT is a moot point cause these docs lay bare the kind of politics he employs, shines the light.

     Ali's career, his times were intense , then again everyday is intense if you take some measure of it.