“Déjà vu part Deux”

“Déjà vu part Deux”

The Albertville Adventure Continues 

Saturday, August 4 began with breakfast at Merrill Gardens with my mother Eunice.  What a wonderful breakfast of sausage, eggs, biscuits and lots and lots and lots of coffee.  Mama has been living at this wonderful assisted living facility for two months and has gained five pounds, is no longer in pain, no longer falling, and is playing bingo to win such necessities as Kleenex, toilet paper and paper towels.  Makes sense to me.  As a priest I have been in many assisted living facilities and nursing homes and this is the best one I have ever seen:  immaculate facilities, wonderful staff, more activities than I have the energy for and, as mentioned earlier, great food.  And, they prepare it, bring it to you and clean up after you leave.  I could really get used to that. 

After breakfast I met my brother, Pat at the relatively new Albertville History Museum, located in the old Primitive Baptist Church on West Main Street, across from the pre-Civil War Cemetery.  The program planned for the day was a look at the History and sounds of Sand Mountain Music.  The musical legacy goes back to the late 1700’s when the musical Johnson family camped out in Hustleville on their way to Arkansas. One of the Johnson brothers killed a deer, fed the family and decided that there was no good reason at all to get back in the wagon and continue on to Arkansas.    Gary Pledger, a long time friend, and a descendant of the Johnson family gave a wonderful and entertaining history of his family and the impact they had on the music of our area. 

Additionally, Jim Connor, award winning banjoist, and author of “Grandma’s Feather Bed” made famous by John Denver, played and sang his way through the history of Sand Mountain music, focusing on “Uncle Arthur Kuykendall” (pronounced Kirkendall) one of the most famous banjoists and cloggers in the history of Sand Mountain Music.  What a joy to hear the old music again and to have a better understanding of where it came from and how we received it and how we might continue it.   

I left the program early to prepare for the evening wedding of Amber Blackburn and Chris Rogers which was to be held at the Senior Center on Lake Guntersville.  Walking down Main Street, through the Main Street Music Festival, watching the crowds, listening to the music from both stages and seeing  the massive “Blowup Water Park” for the kids was thrilling.  What a great Albertville event for citizens of all ages. 

As a priest, I just love weddings. It is so exciting to see people joyful and happy and excited, not only about the moment but about the rest of their lives together, and about the lives of their children, siblings and friends.  The group of young people who made up the wedding party and the friends of the bride and groom had come together primarily around the common connection of Jacksonville State University.  What a joy to see young people who loved each other and enjoyed being together and relished the joy of their friends who were getting married.  The wedding was truly a group event made possible by the love and talents of these wonderful young people.  To be invited to be the priest at this wedding was both a privilege and a blessing.  For any who might be tempted to lose hope for the future of our nation, let me just assure you that we are in good hands! 

A postscript:  On the way to the reception, a woman stopped me and said, “you must be Bennett’s and Eunice’s son.  I responded affirmatively and asked her how she knew.  She said that I look just like Daddy did at my age (she is correct).  She was Nancy Cornelius, mother of groomsman Destrey Cornelius, daughter of Jim Martin and granddaughter of Lola Martin who lived just on block down the street from my grandparents, and is married to Rodney Cornelius whose mother is a new friend of my mother.  Talk about “déjà vu all over again!”