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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.

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Mac Attack and Little Billy Cal Cal Ripken report of first year of organized Baseball

  Mac and William Calhoun Chastain are my brothers two grandsons by his daughter Katie. Last week they concluded their first year together on the Honda Rocket Warriors nine and under league in Upstate SC. They had a couple away games in Pendleton and at the Six Mile Park NE of Six Mile but most games were played at Nettles Park just inside the Anderson County line.

     Last Fall and spring I watched with my brother. But he left us April 3 and this spring I watched without him. My sister and her family came out mid May including Abby the new wife addition. I bought her some eggs and gave them to her yesterday.

     These boys show some promise in a family that loves the game. My Dad was a big fan of textile league in Rome ga and the Boston Red Sox. He loved Yazstremski and often told the story about his Sister Virginia the valedictorian of Model HS and her what coulda been with Leon Culberson.

    Dad's Momms had nine brothers who had there own team in early part of 20th Century in East Tennessee. Distant cousin Todd Helton was Colorado Rockies Great and his Mother came to the Helton Reunion in the early 80 about the time he was good friend with Payton Manning at UTenn.

      Outside of Cousin Nate and Tim enthusiasms in Church league in Griffin Ga not much hope in my generation for it to carry on. Brannon was a Braves fan, I was a chunky wash out though my Brother did okay as a second baseman in Little league and had an eye for the Ball.

     But these show some promise. In addition to the DNA above, on their Dad's side there is a mysterious Cardinal. Will have to ask Rita about that. And their Grandmother Fox has some decent golfers in the family.

    Little Billy Cal Cal whose preferred nickname in Cal Ripken was batting a thousand first five contests of this year. And when he got on base most of those were home runs as it became a zoo factory of unforced errors by opposing teams. And with the obstruction rule he just kept on running like Forrest Gump till he crossed home plate and the home crowd would go apey.

    His cousin Andrew in his sole appearance in the stands this year, asked him post game what his secret was. He Little Billy Cal Cal or Cal Ripken as he prefers said the magic lay in his batting gloves. He does it every time he has his batting glove on.

   Mack graduates to the ten and unders next year where he will face a contemporary opposition pitcher as opposed to friendly coach trying to get the ball over the plate as has been part of Bro Cal's success to date. Mack may be a pitcher himself. He got an All Star opponent Billy doyle, got him out in the last game of this season, ran him down in a pickle.

    My Dad would be so proud, would probably give them all my Christmas money. Andrew, the cousin inclined toward the culinary arts and japery will visit Fenway Park in a couple months on choir tour. Out there he will see first hand in left field the territory legendarily roamed by only two BoSox from 29 to 69, forty years, Ted Williams and Yaz.

    I imagine the Mack Attack and Little Billy Cal Cal Ripken will also see it soon.

     

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Epic Poem celebrating the Life of Stephen M. Fox on Eve of his Seventieth Year

   Born May 18, 1953 in Newport Tennessee in the Baltimore Community

   what was to become of young Steevie

    Steve Spurrier was in the third at Newport Grammar up on the Hill

   Not long after in North Carolina was Stephen
   Erwin to be exact
    While his Dad was in Seminary with Randall Lolley 
    to make fame in contest with Jesse Helms in 87

    That brought Stephen to Atlanta in 86
    Coming down the Elevator to See Bill Self and Sweet Billy
    Tom Edsall said he thought it was Moses or something.

   And then in Bama for thirty years
   where his local consultancy got the eyes of bob Dylan Son Sam
   Later Brett Morgen was on the cat walk in London with Mick himself

    At Gaffney High some of his promise was apparent,
    the rigged ballot that got him most intellectual
   though some SAT's were higher
    By sixty Stephen of that group was likely the most well read.

    And who could forget the margins of One Foot in Eden
    That attracted two Oscar nominees at one point
    Or the fried chicked with Roger Milliken Jr
    And the peach shed summer of 1970

    Ms Beam called Stephen over to the pencil sharpener early 71
    And said Paul and I think you are a find young man
   We know how Much Furman costs and how much your Daddy Makes
    So don't hesitate to call on us if needed.
   Paul knows a lot of people with the University

   And in Hayesville in 59 shortly before
   Stephen was baptized with Kim Wimpey,
   His father had a dream and came into his eldest
   Bedroom and asked, is it Stephen, is there some promise for Him.

    Well on occasion there was even if not conventional.
    He left Gaffney after 16 years with his trombone 
   in the same parade with Shatner and Strom Thurmond
   Playing Get It on.
  
   A Couple weeks after the lime Green suit and the
   Saturday Night Fever Pumps.
    Ms Sullivan Montgomery said Stephen
   You Need that Suit, you need that suit.

   One fan said Stephen was the best damned Substitute Teacher he ever had
   Said it on a Saturday night late June of 93 with not much traffic
   There were witnesses to the utterance
   \They know what they heard

  Yelled it out of a passing car, on Broad Street

   Rome Ga, Right across from Schroeders

   And subbing the fifth grade in Collinsville
   1994 after Lunch he told the unsuspecting children he
had seen five presidents in the Flesh.

   Two which a young boy of color soon to father two children out of wedlock said
  I know that fool lying now, All he Do
  Is ride up and down the highway on  his bicycle.

   So few understood this unconventional life.
   Or how he was able to feed himself all that time
   And have a roof, but he did.

   And he read, and he thought and he rode his bicycle
   Had many conversations along the way.
  Kissed several females before he threw in the towel early.
 
   As one of his Heroes Leon Said,
   Its pretty much over now Baby Blue

   But I thought I would share.
     

Friday, May 13, 2022

Baptist Studies at Mercer, Duke and SMU/Baugh Center

   I noticed a Baptist News global press release last week about the New House of Baptist Studies at the Perkins Divinity School of SMU in Dallas underwritten by the Baugh Foundation. Jaime Soles is the director. There are Baptist emphasis at several schools now in addition to historically Baptist Schools like Wake Forest, Baylor and Gardner Webb.

    What is core to education about the authentic Baptist work in America at these schools. Do graduates know about Stewart Newman when they graduate, have they heard about Will Campbell and LD Johnson and Marney, is their history inflected by the witness of the Baptist Journalist Marshall Frady, do they read Can I Get a Witness about lesser known forward leaning labor and justice activists who ushered in the Civil Rights Movement.

    Or is it all Woke Politics so mostly women can hang with their left leaning feminist scholars in the Methodist and Episcopalian tradition who go to Yale and Harvard Div and other Ivy Leaguers.

     I think there is a rich heritage in authentic Baptist life that knows George W. Truett, explores his time and his navigation of race in Jim Crow era. If I was head of one of these schools I would bring in Robert Wuthnow to talk about his chapter From Judge Lynch to Jim Crow in his book Rough Country to talk about Truett as mainstream for his time looking at Race. And by All means every intro should have in the syllabus James Dunn mentor Stewart A Newman sweet little book on the Free Church Tradition.

    Randall Lolley memorial service will be livestreamed tomorrow May 14 at one pm. Strong case can be made there was no Baptist witness of conviction of Randall Lolley without Stewart A Newman who saw Jesse Helms dismissal of Lolley coming when Newman stood up to WA Criswell in Columbia SC in 1956 . Any dimplomaed Baptist scholar who does not know and understand the implications of that moment in my opinion has a bogus degree

     From what I know of the layman Mr. Baugh, he would want every student funded by the endowment of his wealth and family name to have conversational knowledge of the insights of Harold Bloom's The American Religion into Baptist thought as it played out in American Politics of of the late 20th Century.

    Of course the convictions of Baptist Greats ML King, Jimmy Carter, John Lewis and Molly Marshall should be explored.

     Just a few bullet points, foundational curricula for Baptist thought. And if any of these schools want to fly me in for a week to talk about the wider historical implications of the fracas between Bill Moyers and Pressler, bringing in the kitchen sink of the Birch Society and the Texas Regulars and Ballot Box 13 and Clinton and Carter and Big Oil and why the Right wanted to get in the heads of all those white people in the pews for a voting bloc, Well you can find me and lets talk.

Sunday, May 01, 2022

A week in Alabama

      Left South Carolina for Bama on Thursday April 21 and returned the following Friday. Stopped by the ACC Tennis Tourney at Berry College on the way down and came back the next day from Collinsville. About three pm on the 21st got the news Clemson men had upset their opponent in first round but the women had lost. Saw Ms Duckworth but not certain she ever got to Schroeders on Broad Street.

     That evening went on over to Cracker Barrell in Guntersville to see a good six Furman friends who I had gotten word just two days earlier were in the vicinity playing several golf courses around. Steve Mayer daughter's lake house set them up joined by John Baker, Bob Carr, Larry Vanderbilt, Ralph Bryant of Furman and Conway SC, and Retta Tindall's husband Bic McCallister of NC State and Spartanburg originally from Graham NC. Steve's Brother was of the party and a lifelong Baptist friend from Decatur Ga, both friends of my Dad's Great friend from seminary, the Baptist legend Bill Self.
    Friday back at the Tourney almost passed out in the heat from dehydration. Shoulda been drinking some water. Missed some great matches early afternoon but caught a dramatic Clemson match against Louisville that heartbreakingly broke Louisville way about the time Clemson was in the thick of it in three singles matches. Clemson won the doubles point . Missed Ga Tech and Tar Heels on count of bad planning. Did catch a little of the UVA super netter that morning.
     During a slowdown overheard some women for UNC team I think it was talking about Hallmark channel favorites with their Coach. I had to share I discovered Andie MaCdowell in Gaffney when she was in first grade. The Coach said she was a natural beauty and great as the crazy momma in the recent Disney or Netflix series with her daughter. Coach promised to google the NPR Fresh Air interview of Macdowell from back in Feb.
     On Saturday went to Trade Day, somebody called my name and it was Lowell Barron himself, the second most powerful man in the state of Bama during the nineties. He and Auburn President Dr. Muse, great friend of Kate Campbell and Wayne Flynt have some political history but we didn't bring that up. Interesting chat about politics in Bama and the rise of the Trump Base. I think Lowell is gonna read Frye and Tucker's new book on the South and American politics. I'm gonna email him. Wish we coulda talked about my chat with Herman Kerley about five years ago, Herman's version of the story when 20 years ago Barron thought about running for US Senate.
     On Sunday I went to the Collinsville Historical Association at the Cricket Theatre and made an announcement, and had three of Jane Peek's great cupcakes. Paid two dollars on Rex Leath's 250 dollar ticket he game me a decade ago, a miscarriage of justice if there ever was one, a court fee system right out of a corrupt South America and Mark Wilson's Auburn Center for Civic Democracy has said as much.
    But always good to talk to Jill and Lori.
     Monday was a slow day, Tuesday went to the lyberry in Rainsville where they have always been nice to me and have something appropriating a professional staff, not wicked women with vendettas. Had lunch at Wendy's and then to Ft Payne Foodland. Such a pretty day I sat in the car looking at Arby's and the Beauty of Lookout mtn talking on the phone. Talked to Mot Mot Christy about the Dacusville Clock Chicken Liver Society and the ground rules.
     Weds I forget, may sat on the bench in front of the Pig and got home to find somebody had taken a couple items out of my house. Listened to the Braves on the Front porch on the Swing and heard the corpse bird in the distance.
    Thursday went to Bill Glenn for the second time and had a piece of catfish. Road to Ft Payne with my friend Andy Myers of UPS and had supper at the Cracker Barrell.  Correction did not got on Thursday but was there with Andy on Sunday. On Thursday after an event downtown was in a crunch when Andy had to dash to Foodland to get some coffee creamer for his wife 12 years younger though her office was just a half mile down the road and Andy and I had to go 8 miles out of the way through severe road construction on 59 and Sherrie was about to close Liberty Bank back in Collinsville any minute--Barbara Mackey retired three years ago, then Lillian so Sherrie is the closer now. Ms Mackey now volunteers most weekdays downtown in History Museum, which housed the old bank just ten years ago. Picture of Russ Beene in there now, near the front door..........Was there two days earlier and talked to a beautiful young Italian woman who found herself in NE Bama via New Jersey and Ft Lauderdale, maybe Naples. Told her about Joey Rigolotta and the Saints of Newark.
     Thursday night saw Collinsville varsity baseball versus Lauderdale County in the playoffs doubleheader. The three seventh graders and teammates were on top till the bottom of the seventh in the second game and lost in a heartbreaker. 9th grader Jameson Coker went the distance on the mound, Keaton DEEboard got on base four of five times at bat and the only senior Carson Dennis Dad was a friend of Cameron Brooks of Gaffney SC when they played football at Gardner Webb, alma mater of Ron Rash.

   My brother died April 3. Not many people in Bama knew him as he only visited on occasion and not much after our Dad died. I told everybody I loved him, he was a good soul, and it was a punch in the gut.