I have often mentioned in my blog entries my home state of Alabama and my affection for the Crimson Tide football team. However, my memories of my home state are far deeper than sports and more than merely a distant memory. I have lived in Pennsylvania now for 18 years, before that in Texas for 13 years, and before that in Virginia for 4 years. I left what I consider to be my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama in 1977. I remember the day well — it was the day that Elvis Presley died! However, my first exposure to the state of Alabama was not in Huntsville, a city nestled on the Tennessee River in the north part of the state. For a couple of years my Virginian parents moved the family to Eufaula, Alabama where my Dad worked at a military radar site. Eufaula is a city in the southern and eastern part of the state. It is a beautiful small Southern town located on the Chattahoochee river that separates Alabama from Georgia at that point. In fact, my twin brother and I finished out the first grade in a Georgetown, Georgia public school just across the river.
There are many memories of those days. I went bowling for the first time and fell in love with it. I began guitar lessons as a little boy with, of all people, my barber! I recall going to a parade, standing I think not far from the fountain shown in the picture of Eufaula above. As a young kid these were all new experiences for me that left deep and lasting impressions. I remember our little house on Sunset Drive and the playing of wiffle ball. One of the strongest recollections I have is Dad taking me to see my first high school football game to watch the Eufaula Tigers play and win 7-0. However, it is topped by the time my brother and I participated in some program put on by the elementary school. For our part, we played our guitars and sang the song “A Little Bitty Tear” (recorded by Burl Ives in 1961) to a large crowd in the high school gym. My parents were quite proud. All of these experiences combined to make our stay in Eufaula for those couple of years a happy one. However, there is one memory of note that is near the top and should not be left out — which is the main reason for my blog entry today.
