Georgia On My Mind

Have you ever just sat and reminisced about your childhood and how things seemed so simple then? Well, I do. One of the things that continue to come back to me is how much different Georgia is today compared to then. It's just not the same.


Don't get me wrong, because without a doubt my roots are dug pretty deep in the Georgia red clay but as time goes by, the dirt around my roots are getting pretty loose and starting to erode. For me, it's kind of sad but for now, just sit back, relax and join me on my journey to the past.


Now I can't throw out dates, years, and such like when Georgia was founded and by whom. Nor can I tell you a great deal about the political stasis as to when cities and counties were formed but what I can tell you are my memories as a child. Like when we would play outside on those late summer night trying to catch lighting bugs, we could walk to the corner store and not worry about crossing a busy highway, when going to a baseball game and only a few hundred were there, when you never locked your door, when you could ride down the hooch, and when everyone would wave at each other no matter if they knew you are not.


Today, there is too much pollution in the air to stay outside for a long period of time, forget the corner store because now they are called Wal-Mart, forget crossing the street because most roads are becoming 4 lane divided highways, the hooch has more trash than water, people will break their necks trying to keep from looking at you because their afraid you might wave and they will have to break their arm by lifting it and waving back, and don’t say hey to a strange because they may think you are hitting on them. What happen?


I just remember hearing someone on TV one day say that Georgia needs to step up to the next level. Building brings jobs and jobs bring people and people bring revenue to the state. Please don't tell me that because of the ole mighty dollar that our kids will never have memories like this, because of greed another tree will fall, and to make matters worst, another landmark will fall because that newly employed out of state person doesn’t even care about preserving it.


I remember baseball games at the Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. Upon our arrival I ran as fast as I could to visit Chief Noc-A-Homa and watch him do his rain dance on the pitcher's mound (which I still have his autograph), where Hank Aaron became the homerun king (and always will be in my mind), and you could get a good seat for next to nothing, well that is all it will ever be, a memory, because all that is left now is a parking lot to the new stadium. Why do people tend to think that bigger and newer is better? How about exercising the less is best theory every now and then?

Well for now, I will conclude this blog, in time I will touch on the fall of the hooch and other tidbits I mentioned but for now I am riled up enough. I leave you with a few of my memories.


Atlanta Fulton County Stadum
I am not sure what year this was taken
Look at all the trees!!








Chief Noc-A-Homa and his Teepee

Here's a little history: From 1967 to 1971 the teepee stood on a 20-foot-square platform behind the left field fence. In 1972 the teepee was moved to right field. From 1973 to 1977 it was back in left field. From 1978 to August 1982 the teepee was moved to left-center, occupying 235 seats between aisles 128 and 130, rows 18-30. From August to early September 1982 it was removed in anticipation of additional revenue in the playoffs, "causing" a disastrous tailspin for the first-place Braves. Its replacement coincided with the Braves comeback to win the division crown in 1982. The teepee's removal on August 11, 1983, saw another losing streak that could not be overcome by its return on September 16. It stood as a permanent outfield installation until the Braves moved to Turner Field.


Hank Aaron the homerun king






















All that's left of my memories (you can click on the picture to enlarge).

One day I may look around, see nothing familiar anymore and on that sad day I may decide that it is time for me to leave my roots, but if and when that day comes, you can be sure that no matter where I am Georgia will forever be on my mind.