Copycats
Neighborly Influences
Having a job that allows one to travel has
its perks as well as problems. In my case, aside from the obvious advantages
of being assigned a corporate automobile, there are more subtle advantages
linked to travel, such as not having to work in one place all day, every
day of the workweek. When I worked in a retail store, I was largely confined
to that location, though from time to time I might be allowed to travel to
a sister store to pickup something I was running low on, like a sale item.
These days, I could work almost an entire year without going to the same
store twice. Yet, in the practical sense it doesnt work that way, as
I only go to the stores that need my services. Yes, every store needs my
services at some point in time, but travel is not always required.
Most of my travels are within the state of Mississippi, but I also make the
occasional trek to Louisiana, southern Arkansas, west Tennessee, and west
Alabama. It takes me at about an hour to get to my nearest SUPERVALU supplied,
but most stores are at least two hours away from Pontotoc. I mention this
to illustrate how my work allows me the opportunity to observe the countryside.
And, its in observing the countryside that Im often struck by
the influential aspect of neighbors on neighbors.
In my youth, I heard adults speak of "keeping up with the Joneses." I
didnt know any Joneses until we moved back to Pontotoc, but I understood
the expression to reflect the nature of humans to want something like someone
else has, whether its a house, car, horse, barn, indoor plumbing, or
similar nicety. In my childhood, the term for "keeping up with the Joneses,"
was simply, "copycat." I didnt find the term flattering, but then I
didnt know the meaning of flattering, let alone how to be sarcastic.
Instead, "copycat" meant someone was trying to copy or "be like" someone
else. Though a slew of years has passed since I was a youth, folks still
try to keep up with the Joneses and "copycats" still abound.
One of my regular routes to Indianola takes me through Coffeeville, MS. And,
on Oak Street are two adjacent houses, each with an asphalt driveway. That
the driveways are asphalt is not significant, but its worth noting
that both are always immaculately kept, and about once every year or so the
drives are mopped with a sealant to keep them looking new. It cant
be coincidence that both owners realize the need to reseal their respective
drives at the same time; its got to be a case of "copycat."
Downtown Crenshaw, MS lies at the edge of the Mississippi Delta along the
foothills of what I call "the hill country." If one turns eastward in downtown
Crenshaw along Hwy. 310 that leads to Como, one will pass two adjacent houses
before beginning the ascent into the hills. The lawns of both houses are
manicured. The ranch-styled houses are similar, but its the lawns that
set these two houses apart from the rest of the neighborhood. Im of
the opinion that if two leaves fall, one leaf on one lawn and one leaf on
the other, theres a race by the owners to see who can pick up his or
her leaf first. If not "copycats," these folks definitely try to keep up
with the Joneses.
Probably the most numerous examples of copycatting I observe relate to rural
mailboxes. While there seems to be no limit to the differing mailbox mounts
and mailbox styles, its not hard to spot the neighborly-influence factor.
If one neighbor opts for the newer plastic models such as the all-in-one
mailbox and mount, theres a good possibility a nearby neighbor will
do the same. Though miles separate the "fish mailboxes," a plastic catfish
and a plastic bass, on Hwy 330 between Bruce and Coffeeville, I imagine the
purchase of the first one influenced the purchase of the other one.
In my lifetime, Ive witnessed the transition from tin-roofs to asphalt
shingles, and now I may be seeing the reverse, as folks have begun to use
metal roofs again. Granted, todays metal roofs are more attractive
than the tin ones of yesteryear, theyre still metal, and you can hear
the rain falling on them when you cant hear it on asphalt shingles.
The other Sunday afternoon, Barbara asked me to take her to Randolph to make
a picture of one of the houses in the county that Habitat for Humanity built.
On the way, I spotted a house with a metal roof.
"See that metal roof, Hon?" I quizzed. "Ill bet theres another
metal roof nearby."
Sure enough, across the highway a neighbor could not resist the urge to keep
up with the Joneses. We didnt drive very far before we saw two more
metal roofs.
"Can we count roofs of metal buildings?" I joked.
I can marvel or make fun of the "copycats" I see along my journeys, but if
any of them ever drove into our Woodland Hills subdivision, I imagine
theyd say the same thing about us. After all, every house has a bricked
mailbox with a newspaper holder, where about the only difference is the color
of the bricks. Yeah, in case youre wondering, I live among a bunch
of "copycats."
Dead Singers
Society By Sarah Carter Brown
Several years ago the movie, Dead Poets Society, depicted the lives
of a group of young students who named their reading group after the idea
that the authors of the great poetry by which they were influenced were dead.
I have noted with great sadness, while watching the series of Gaither Homecoming
videos that those of us who listen are fast becoming the "Dead Singers Society."
Anthony Burger, Gaither's piano player died Feb. 22 of this year while performing
on a Gaither Homecoming cruise out of Miami. Burger not only played piano,
he also sang in a trio with Ivan Parker and Kirk Talley.
In late December, 2003, complications from the flu caused Sister Vestal
Goodmans death. Within a week, Jake Hess died after a long battle with
heart disease. Of course, Sister Vestals husband, Howard, is gone too.
Baritones, Glen Payne and James Blackwood are gone. Basses, J. D. Sumner,
Rex Neelon and George Younce are gone now. Many of the faces on the videos
are familiar, but I confess that I do not have a clue as to their names.
Some of the older videos reveal faces that are not around for the newer videos.
Gospel music is fortunate that Bill Gaither has preserved the music and
performances of these folks for those of us left behind. I do not own a single
video, but thanks to the Gospel Music Network, I can catch a promotional
video almost daily. I find that it is easy to sing along with the Gaither
groups because they do not pitch the music in a key that is too high or too
low for me. The average age of those folks must be 60-65, so they can't sing
as high as they could in their prime, and neither can I.
When I was a child getting ready for Sunday School, Daddy listened to gospel
music on television. Usually it was Jubilee or a similar show which
featured the Happy Goodman Family, the Blackwood Brothers, or the Statesmen.
At the time I did not care for that style of music, but I must have subliminally
captured the melodies because I can now sing along with the old songs on
the Gaither videos. I did not learn the songs at church, and I certainly
did not learn them from the radio. However, on almost every Homecoming video,
I find myself singing along to a classic gospel piece that I did not know
I knew.
I can remember watching Sister Vestal and the rest of the Goodmans sing "I
Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now" and "The Eastern Gate." By the
seventies, I particularly liked Rusty Goodman's "Look for Me" and "Who Am
I."
The first time I heard Vestal sing "What a Lovely Name" on a homecoming video,
I knew almost every line. Where did that come from? I don't remember learning
it as a child. I knew the chorus to "If We Never Meet Again this Side of
Heaven" the first time I heard it on tape. The same thing was true of "Sheltered
in the Arms of God." I don't remember Daddy playing those numbers on his
fiddle or hearing Ellawese McCoy's family sing it around her piano. I must
have heard the songs somewhere, but where and when?
It must have been on a gospel show that I learned "Oh What a Savior" because
I knew that chorus, and the verse was vaguely familiar the first time I noted
it on a video. In the dark recesses of my memory, I think I heard Rosie Rosell
as the featured singer with some group on a gospel program when I was in
my teens. Personally, I like to hear Ernie Haase sing it with Signature
Sound. No one can sing the tenor like he does on that song.
Do not misunderstand me. Gospel music is not the type of music I want to
sing in church. I still prefer "high-church" music in the sanctuary. Glorious
anthems by a choir like "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name," "Unshakable
Kingdom," or "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" are the soul-stirring songs
of my preference. However, in my leisure time I like to listen to the old
gospel songs that Daddy made me listen to on those Sunday mornings so long
ago.
My children do not care for gospel music. Felicia makes fun of me and asks
me if I am trying to sound like Sister Vestal, as if anyone could sing like
Vestal. Who knows what the future holds? I didn't like gospel music when
I was young either. Perhaps, I had to have some life experiences in order
to understand the music. Maybe when my children are in their fifties, they
will appreciate it too.
I never cared for "I Will Meet You in the Morning," thinking it just too
"country" until I heard it at Ellawese McCoy's funeral. The group that sang
it for the funeral sang it smoothly and slower than I had remembered hearing
it. Perhaps it was the meaning of the words, not the melody, that appealed
to me: I will meet you in the morning with a "How do you do"
Well sit down by the river and with rapture old acquaintance renew
You'll know me in the morning by the smile that I'll wear
I will meet you in the morning in the city that is built foursquare.
Ellawese played piano by ear, and for many years accompanied a group of her
friends every Tuesday evening at the nursing home playing the old hymns and
a few singing convention songs in an effort to brighten the lives of the
residents. The old people loved the songs. Not many people knew how much
of her time Ellawese devoted to this endeavor, and I surmise that is the
way we should go about doing good, quietly and without show. I sometimes
wonder if Ellawese and I will meet up by that river. If we do, I suspect
there will be a host of her friends from the nursing home surrounding her.
I miss singing in the choir, but my hours at work prevent regular attendance.
I have always had a secret yen to make the cut for heaven's choir, but I
am not too hopeful these days as I tend to think the competition will be
pretty stiff. Instead, I comfort myself with the idea of singing by the river
with Ellawese and the gang from the nursing home.
Meeting Barbara
How I Met My Spouse
Ridge Rider News is now accepting submissions from its readership. Wed
like to know how you met your spouse. Your story may be serious or humorous,
sad or happy, though we suspect you wont share a sad one. Still,
were interested in what brought the two of you together. Heres
what the editor has to say about his meeting Barbara for the first time.
I was twenty-four years old and was in my second year as a math teacher at
South Tippah High School in Ripley, MS. My dads sister, Nettie Mae
Gaillard, provided me with room and board. Aunt Nettie Maes
daughter-in-law, Frankie Gaillard, worked in a local factory with Virginia
OKelly. One day the two of them discussed the idea of getting me introduced
to Virginias younger sister, Barbara Crouch.
I wasnt too keen on the idea of a "blind date," but based on
Frankies glowing reports of Barbara, I agreed to pay a visit to Barbara
at her parents home in Ripley. Frankie and I drove in separate cars.
After a brief introduction, Barbara and I drove to a drive-in restaurant
for a coke. We rode around town in my 59 T-bird for a while, getting
to know each other better, before I took her home.
I came away from that meeting with the feeling that Barbara just might be
the person I would one day marry. As I recall our first real date was to
the school-sponsored Sports Banquet. I know that the AG teacher, Gwen Winter,
also attended the same banquet. His date was the lovely Gail Hobson of Ashland,
MS. It was their first date, as well.
Something must have been in the stars that night, for a few months later,
Gwen and Gail were married one day before Barbara and I tied the knot. The
Winters and the Carters will celebrate their 39th wedding
anniversaries on August 19 and August 20, 2006, respectively.
Reminder: Please submit your article before the first day of spring,
March 20, 2006.
Middle Aged
Sarah's Retribution
By her own definition, my daughter is now middle aged. Rayanne celebrated
her birthday at our house on Saturday evening, February 25, two days before
becoming middle aged.
"How does it feel to be middle aged?" Sarah asked my daughter.
Theres something about the female psyche that enables them to remember
a caustic remark or to hold a grudge for years. Almost twenty years ago,
on the occasion of Sarahs thirty-fifth birthday Rayanne asked Sarah
the age question. Ever since, Sarah has prayed she would live to see the
day Rayanne became thirty-five.
"It feels fine," Rayanne responded, putting a good face on the situation.
We sang Happy Birthday to Rayanne and served the cake she had requested,
a fresh apple cake with caramel icing. It would not have been my cake preference,
but it wasnt my birthday. We either didnt have a no. 3 and no.
5 candle or couldn't find what we needed, so Barbara sank a ten-inch candle
in the center of the cake and lit it for Rayanne to make a wish before blowing
out the candle.
With any luck, Sarah will live to see Rayanne turn forty. I have the feeling
a bigger celebration will be planned for that birthday party.
Bodock Beau
Pirate At A Bar
If only I had a dollar for every joke involving a pirate in a bar. Oh well,
what's one more joke?
Pirate at a bar
A pirate was talking to a "land-lubber" in a bar. The landlubber noticed
that, like any self-respecting pirate, this guy had a peg leg, a hook in
place of one of his hands and a patch over one eye. The landlubber just had
to find out how the pirate got in such bad shape.
He asked the pirate, "How did you loose your leg?"
The pirate responded, "I lost me leg in a battle off the coast of Jamaica!"
His new acquaintance was still curious so he asked,
"What about you hand. Did you loose it at the same time?"
"No," answered the pirate. "I lost it to the sharks off the Florida Keys."
Finally, the landlubber asked,
"I notice you also have an eye patch. How did you loose your eye?
The pirate answered, "I was sleeping on a beach when a seagull flew over
and messed right in me eye."
The landlubber asked, "How could a little seagull droppings make you loose
your eye?"
The pirate snapped, "It was the day after I got me hook!"
Ponderments
Did you ever notice, when you are sitting at a red light, that when the person
in front of you pulls up a couple of inches, you are compelled to move up
too? Do we really think we are making progress toward our destination? "Whew,
I thought we would be late, but now that I am nine inches closer, I can stop
for coffee and a Danish!"
Isn't it weird that we drink milk, stuff designed to nourish baby cows? How
did that happen? Did some cattleman once say, "Oh, man, I can't wait till
them calves are done so I can get me a hit of that stuff."
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