OH , THE MEMORIES………….

IT WAS WHAT IT WAS , the cover of a memoir , overflowing with stories and anecdotes and characters and laughter and tears, told from the standpoint of one who cherished growing up in the 50s in a small Southern town.  Life was good in post-WWII .  Patriotism was at an all-time high , chocolate and gasoline were available again,  jobs were plentiful, children were raised by the village, and crime was virtually non – existent.

The cover is but a sliver of the 50s . Long believed to be one of the greatest decades, the contentment and peace and appreciation of life itself tell a story not to be forgotten.

But back to the book and its cover :

New Year’s Day, 1955, at the top of Currahee Mountain near Toccoa, Georgia.  Two kids, one  a 1954 high school grad and one a junior at same.  Loving each other the way only the young  can, but also,  seeing an unknown future unfolding.  Young grad  leaving soon for a stint in the Air Force and, ultimately ,  three long years in Germany.

As for me, I graduated in 1956 from Lavonia High School, spent two wonderful years at North Georgia College before transferring to UGA for a degree in Journalism.  Lots of fun, lots of dates, lots of growing up.

But it was always loving the one who was away.  That never wavered.

But this is only a tiny piece of all the memories flooding the book , IT WAS WHAT IT WAS .  The people and the anecdotes and the laughs and the tears  transcend this love story and gather together to tell the true stories of life in the 50s in a small Southern town.

Oh ,  the memories……

Just a few teasers from the book :

—–Real honest-to-gosh UFO encounter in the Fairview community on a clear, cold January night in 1957……

—–Cruising in surrounding towns/counties as a favorite pastime……

—–Dink Maret and his  ” half-time  entertainment “………

—–Dear old Lavonia High School , everything a high school in the South in the 50s should be………

—–My daddy’s  “encouragement” when I attempted to play basketball :  ” SHOOT,  DARN IT ,  SHOOT ” !

—–BLUE MOON and Coach Jack Smith in the basement of the high school.

—–A German submarine  spotted off the South Carolina coast…..

—–“Kidnapped” on our wedding day………

—–Poplar Springs campground  , a tradition in Franklin County…..

—–Lavonia ladies’ relationship with Brock’s Grocery : order by phone requesting groceries  to be delivered and placed in refrigerator and /or on counter…..

—–” DANG , THAT AIN’T RIGHT ” ! …….

—–Bootleggers pulling into back alley of Brock’s  Grocery , 10:00 pm on Saturday, to purchase sugar and malt for their  ” business “……

—–” Brown ” the telephone operator who sat upstairs in a downtown building , overlooking  the square , monitoring everybody’s business, and sharing it….

—–Bartson’s, a Belgian textile industry, weaving  fabric for draperies for the White House gold room…..

—–Senior trip to Atlanta , including seeing old  ” friends ” at the federal pen…..

Just a few of many.  Just a touch of those special times.  Just enough to whet your interest , hopefully.  Just a piece of my heart handed to you in book form.

Perhaps you might share this blog with friends and acquaintances who would enjoy the journey.  I would appreciate that.

( IT WAS WHAT IT WAS available on Amazon and Lulu Publishing )