"I miss those days."
--Frank Foster
I'm not a big country fan, but I've heard a song several times called "Miss Those Days" by Frank Foster that is pretty good.
I guess that I, like Frank Foster, and probably everyone else, really do miss "those" days.
I miss those days when my grandparents were still living and on Saturday mornings, I'd walk across the street to their house and my papa would make coffee, always poured in that jade green cup that I hope to inherit one day, and toast and I would dip the toast in the coffee while sitting in front of the window unit air conditioner in the dining room.
I miss those days when my dad helped me learn to roller skate by holding me under my arms so I wouldn't fall as I plodded awkwardly down the walkway to the street.
I miss those days when I'd walk down the street to Desmond Mott's house or he and Jason would come up to mine and we'd play baseball in the vacant lot beside the house where I grew up and where my mom still lives.
I miss those days when Vernell Craig would beat four of us in basketball all by himself. And I miss Vernell Craig.
I miss those days when my Aunt Doris and Uncle Lloyd lived in Bay Minette and we'd ride down Highway 29/31 on Thanksgiving and have lunch and spend time with our cousins Janet and Kathryn. Susan and Mary would be born later on after that. I always remember the guns that Uncle Lloyd had over this freezer on a gun rack. They looked old even then, and I miss old guns.
I miss those days when Friday nights would roll around and we'd watch the Dukes of Hazzard.
I miss those days when my brother and sister and I would lie in the floor in the front of the furnace because the warm air was like Heaven on earth on a cold morning.
I miss those days when mom would take us to Fort Walton Beach on a whim for the weekend and we'd play in the pool and not on our phones.
I miss those days when I was 13 and I mowed grass all summer with a push lawn mower, sweating like a pig and learning independence and I was awkward and girls were like uncharted territory and Valentines Day was scarier than a Steven King book.
I miss those days when Elmore Lewis would just be Elmore Lewis. He was so great.
I miss those days when the JCPenney or Sears "Wish Book" would come to the house in the mail and we'd fight over getting to look through it.
I miss those days when Camp Wiregrass was my second home and the friends I made there were like anchors in my childhood.
I miss those days when I got my drivers license and a car was freedom and the open road seemed endless, even it was only just a lap around the bypass or when I got rear-ended in front of the fire department and Melanie Foshee was in TC 107 with some friends decorating for a party watching the whole thing unfold.
I miss those days when Keith Grissett and Grey Sharpe and Christy Smith and David Bodie and Larry Burnette were still with us.
I miss those days when I was a senior with absolutely no sense of direction for my life...it all turned out OK.
I miss those days I played in the LBW Ensemble and Jerry Padgett would tug at his right ear every time the horns were out of tune and when he would walk into music theory, hold out his hand and say "suture," like a doctor...because he had LOTS of homework mistakes to correct.
I miss those days when Kim Dyess gave me a chance to teach the middle school band for a couple months when I was completely unqualified.
I miss those days when I joined Southwind.
I miss those days when I moved to Troy and met Susanna and Doug and Art and Michael and Sena and Casey and Rocky and on and on....
I miss those days when I graduated and my mom was in the audience but my brother couldn't be because the Army.
I miss those days when I got my first job as a band director and when I got the job at the college.
I miss those days when Grant and Ashlyn and Jack were born and the world was perfect, if only for a moment.
I miss those days when right was right and wrong was wrong and it didn't seem so convoluted as to which was which.
I miss those days when I didn't miss those days....
....................................................
The past is really all we have to look at. But I choose to believe the best days are actually ahead, so maybe one day I'll revisit this blog and write another post about things that outshine those days I mentioned above. But until then....I miss those days.
I guess that I, like Frank Foster, and probably everyone else, really do miss "those" days.
I miss those days when my grandparents were still living and on Saturday mornings, I'd walk across the street to their house and my papa would make coffee, always poured in that jade green cup that I hope to inherit one day, and toast and I would dip the toast in the coffee while sitting in front of the window unit air conditioner in the dining room.
I miss those days when my dad helped me learn to roller skate by holding me under my arms so I wouldn't fall as I plodded awkwardly down the walkway to the street.
I miss those days when I'd walk down the street to Desmond Mott's house or he and Jason would come up to mine and we'd play baseball in the vacant lot beside the house where I grew up and where my mom still lives.
I miss those days when Vernell Craig would beat four of us in basketball all by himself. And I miss Vernell Craig.
I miss those days when my Aunt Doris and Uncle Lloyd lived in Bay Minette and we'd ride down Highway 29/31 on Thanksgiving and have lunch and spend time with our cousins Janet and Kathryn. Susan and Mary would be born later on after that. I always remember the guns that Uncle Lloyd had over this freezer on a gun rack. They looked old even then, and I miss old guns.
I miss those days when Friday nights would roll around and we'd watch the Dukes of Hazzard.
I miss those days when my brother and sister and I would lie in the floor in the front of the furnace because the warm air was like Heaven on earth on a cold morning.
I miss those days when mom would take us to Fort Walton Beach on a whim for the weekend and we'd play in the pool and not on our phones.
I miss those days when I was 13 and I mowed grass all summer with a push lawn mower, sweating like a pig and learning independence and I was awkward and girls were like uncharted territory and Valentines Day was scarier than a Steven King book.
I miss those days when Elmore Lewis would just be Elmore Lewis. He was so great.
I miss those days when the JCPenney or Sears "Wish Book" would come to the house in the mail and we'd fight over getting to look through it.
I miss those days when Camp Wiregrass was my second home and the friends I made there were like anchors in my childhood.
I miss those days when I got my drivers license and a car was freedom and the open road seemed endless, even it was only just a lap around the bypass or when I got rear-ended in front of the fire department and Melanie Foshee was in TC 107 with some friends decorating for a party watching the whole thing unfold.
I miss those days when Keith Grissett and Grey Sharpe and Christy Smith and David Bodie and Larry Burnette were still with us.
I miss those days when I was a senior with absolutely no sense of direction for my life...it all turned out OK.
I miss those days I played in the LBW Ensemble and Jerry Padgett would tug at his right ear every time the horns were out of tune and when he would walk into music theory, hold out his hand and say "suture," like a doctor...because he had LOTS of homework mistakes to correct.
I miss those days when Kim Dyess gave me a chance to teach the middle school band for a couple months when I was completely unqualified.
I miss those days when I joined Southwind.
I miss those days when I moved to Troy and met Susanna and Doug and Art and Michael and Sena and Casey and Rocky and on and on....
I miss those days when I graduated and my mom was in the audience but my brother couldn't be because the Army.
I miss those days when I got my first job as a band director and when I got the job at the college.
I miss those days when Grant and Ashlyn and Jack were born and the world was perfect, if only for a moment.
I miss those days when right was right and wrong was wrong and it didn't seem so convoluted as to which was which.
I miss those days when I didn't miss those days....
....................................................
The past is really all we have to look at. But I choose to believe the best days are actually ahead, so maybe one day I'll revisit this blog and write another post about things that outshine those days I mentioned above. But until then....I miss those days.
