Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 20:01:16 -0500 From: Charlie Ford Subject: Hazlehurst, Georgia (my home town) Well, here i sit in Hazlehurst, Ga., my hometown. It has been quite a few years since I have spent any lenght of time here. When I was in high school, the only thibg I could think about was leaving. For the past couple ofm weeks all I could think about was getting back here. The main reason for this anticipation being that this is my jump off point. The beginning of "the search for the beginning of wind". I arrived yesterday after staying one night in Lyons, Georgia. Lyons is the county seat of Toombs County. Toombs County is also the home county for the famed palatious delight known as the Vidalia Onion. What a fine smelling county it is, just makes you cry to pass through there. Actually the onions a an e hybrid species that if they are grown correctly shouldn't make you cry at all. They are reputed to be eaten by many as if they were eating an apple. Hazlehurst (Jeff Davis County, why I don't know), and Lyons are both situated in Southeast Georgia, the Coastal Plain. The area lies due east of Savannah and a little northeast of Brunswick. The land is flat and sandy with tall (100 ft.) Georgia Pine forest on both sides of most any road or highway you travel. The climate is pleasant, today it was 65 degrees and partly cloudy, tomorrow it is supposed to be up around 70 degrees and blue skies. The people are plain ole country. They, and I, speak in a slow southern drawl that can be compared at times with syrup that has been sitting on a windowsill in the late fall. They are mannerly in that here you are taught to practice respect for your elders, the law, and God. Although the law isn't always the best role model to follow in this good ole boy region where croneism runs deep along with a few other ism's. Growing up here was not that bad. Church was the social focal point, or should I say the focal social point? Either way it was where we went to party when we were young and didn't know about the evil things that lurked in our futures, but then in so many ways we were sort of naturally sheltered from all that living in southern Georgia. They of course may have been a bit more sublime than the rest of the parties I have known, but a simple fun just the same. Plus, church offered all who grew here a foundation that was badly needed. i am not rabidly religious, but I have something to believe in and that in itself gives one strength when times get tough. Today I went and saw an old friend of our family. The one man in Jeff Davis County i knew as a kid that drove a Volkswagon. His name is Wendell Mimbs. Wendell is now 67 years old, and owns two mint original "Things", two Beetles, and two Carman Ghias. He is a tall skinny man that carries himself with confidence and pride. I went to high school and graduated with Wendell's daughter Cheryl. She died a few years ago at the age of 36 with Cancer, then a few months later Wendell's wige Jennelle died, leaving him pretty much alone. But he appears to have weathered the storm and came out alright, although he does still speak of them a lot, and you can say some pain in his eyes and hear it in his voice. I dropped by and ask him would he be the man to supervise me in some minor repairs on the "Mothership". Specifically I am going to rebuild the front brakes, re-pack the bearings, tune her up, and wash her down. He asked me, "what the hell are you gonna do boy?", and I explained about my trip. He then smiled ear to ear and said, "Yeah I will help you out, I may even have abunch of parts I can give you as spares for the road". Ladies and gentlemen, this is southern Georgia, and a sampling of the nobility of the people that lives here. We start on Sunday afternoon. My Mother has provided me with plenty of food since I arrived in town. Homemade biscuits, cornbread, Blackeye peas and hog jowl, being the fair of New Years Day (a tradition). This morning I woke up to a large plate of grits, three eggs, biscuits and a half a pound of sausage on the side. Damn, I hated to tell her it was way too much so I sat there and like a good boy (285 lb., 40 year old boy) and ate it every bit, right down to the last bit of grit. I explained to her that I was trying to put some riegns on my diet, and she explained to me that she realized that, but she wasn't gonna let me go off hungry. She still doesn't understand that these days a man's figure is his life. But then I have never wanted to be in a men's magazine with my shirt off anyway. I will save that for the first girl that kisses me and I hope she likes pugginess. hehehehe I am sure by the time I leave here I will look like I have been tubing down a river and forgot to take the tube off. but it really doesn't matter, on the road I don't figure i'll be trying to win any beauty contest. Unless of course they have one for the unbuffed type. Well folks I just wanted to submit something to let ya'll know I was still alive. I will send up another in a few days. By the way The Mothership did a great job of moving me down here. She performed with ease under a load. She will be pretty much in drydock until that appointed date of departure. Take care, Charlie Ford "79" Transporter, dressed for the road The Mothership The"Turning 40 Nostalgic VW Service Tour, and Search for the Beginning of Wind". "Wider still and wider.....shall thy bounds be set"