A funny thing happened on our walk

Here in Belmont we have developed a good 4.5 to 5 mile route.  My dad moved the family to Belmont in 1954  to pastor the East Belmont Church of God.  I only lived here a couple years before I left town.  I did get to know some folk in that time.  

I took Sherry away in 1956 and we took a lot of roads for 20 to 30 years. Then we moved back to Belmont and I went into the Construction business.

In business I did get o know a lot of folk but I did not grow up with them.

(One of Sherry's class pictures. She still sees some of these people, to me that is wild)

Sherry lived in Belmont all her live. So as we walk she is saying:

My grandma lived over there, there was only a path and dirt road to get in.

My friend Reece lived on this street.  Gretheren lived there...

There is one stretch of road about a mile that has only 3 houses on it. One has a large dump Truck in the yard.  As we pass she always says, "The Williams lived in that house.

Today a man was working on the truck, I told Sherry, "I am going to ask that dude if he knows a good Diesel Mechanic." I walked over toward his house and noticed my girl coming also.

The guy was very accommodating. Told me not to expect any of these mechanics to drop what they are doing, they all have long lines.

Sherry noticed I was about to walk off, so she asked the man, "Do you know who lived here in the 1950's?"

"Sure, my granny and grandpa Williams."

"What is your name?" Sherry asked

He told her, and she told him Bob his brother was in her class at school.  Sherry said, "My daddy married your grandma after their mates died."

"Well I'll be dogged," says he. "Then you are a Harris."

From that moment on it was  old friends day. Brother Bob has a huge farm in Laurenburg,  so-so died.  etc.. Both these people were raised in Belmont all their lives and were nearly kin. LOL

(Elmer took Sherry's older sister. I smooched Sherry on this same front porch, a few years later, the mill house on the Imperial Mill Village)

There are times I envy Sherry, still seeing folks she was in school with.  Meeting family and friends in Walmart or the drugstore.  Knowing the waitresses in restaurants. And knowing lots of history of this little town.  It is no longer the mill town it was, but a bedroom for the city of Charlotte, and most of the people living here now, never saw the inside of a mill.

(I have put this picture on before. the kid on the far right is Sherry. We walk past that building every day, is stands about 300 yards from she had the  conversation with her class mates younger brother)

I was born in Gastonia, NC but I have no hometown. My wife actually has a hometown, with kin folk and lifelong friends living in it.

Do you have a hometown?

Nite Shipslog

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

1968 Fords