Each year it comes up on my anniversary of being in Alexander City, I take some time to reflect on how much my life has changed.
My anniversary was actually about a week ago but it slipped by me in all the chaos of the coronavirus and the storms that hit Tallapoosa County last weekend. Please forgive me; I’ve been a little busy.
kAmqFE 2?JH2J[ :E’D 92C5 E@ 36=:6G6 x’G6 366? 96C6 7@C E9C66 J62CD]k^Am
kAmxE’D 7F??J 3642FD6 x’G6 925 E9C66 ;@3D :? >J AC@76DD:@?2= 42C66C 2?5 3@E9 E:>6D x’G6 =67E E96 AC6G:@FD EH@ x’G6 E9@F89E[ “x’== ?6G6C =:<6 :E 2D >F49 :? E96 ?6IE A=246] %96 A=2J6CD 42?’E 36 2?J 36EE6C] %96 4@2496D 42?’E 36 2?J >@C6 4@@A6C2E:G6] %96 4@>>F?:EJ 42?’E 36 2?J >@C6 DFAA@CE:G6]”k^Am
kAmp?5 6249 E:>6 x’> AC@G6? HC@?8]k^Am
kAmx HC@E6 E9:D =2DE J62C 2?5 DE:== >62? :Ei p=6I2?56C r:EJ 92D ECF=J 364@>6 >J 9@>6] #:89E ?@H[ x 42?’E :>28:?6 =:G:?8 2?JH96C6 6=D6] $@ 5@?’E H@CCJj J@F’C6 DEF4< H:E9 >6 2H9:=6 =@?86C]k^Am
kAmx’G6 >256 8C62E C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 4@2496D] x’G6 2=H2JD D2:5 7@C 2 DA@CED 65:E@C[ 6DA64:2==J :? p=232>2[ 92G:?8 2 7@@E32== 4@249 @? J@FC D:56 :D =:<6 92G:?8 E96 >2J@C @? J@FC D:56 :7 J@F’C6 2 ?6HD C6A@CE6C] w6’D E96 8FJ H9@ ?665D E@ 92G6 J@FC 324<[ 2?5 6G6? E9@F89 2== 3FE @?6 @7 E96 7:G6 E62>D x 4@G6C C68F=2C=J 92G6 9:C65 ?6H 4@2496D :? E96 E:>6 x’G6 366? 96C6 WH6==[ s256G:==6 H:== D@@?[ 9@A67F==JX[ E96J 2== D66> E@ 36 @? >J D:56] p?5 @7 4@FCD6[ #66=E@H?’D |2EE y@9?D@? 2?5 x 2C6 DE:== 8@:?8 DEC@?8]k^Am
kAm~7 4@FCD6 @G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 E96 =2DE E9C66 J62CD[ x’G6 8@EE6? E@ 4@G6C D@>6 2>2K:?8 2E9=6E6D 2?5 D@>6 8C62E 244@>A=:D9>6?ED] t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 92D D66? 2 D=6H @7 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:AD[ >@DE=J 7C@> t586H@@5 p4256>J[ 2?5 x 7:?2==J 8@E E@ H:E?6DD @?6 =2DE J62C H96? r6?EC2= r@@D2’D 3@JD 32D<6E32== E62> H@? E96 r=2DD ap E:E=6 F?56C 4@249 y6C6>J uC66>2?] x’G6 D66? D6G6C2= HC6DE=6CD H:? DE2E6 E:E=6D[ >@DE C646?E=J (6EF>A<2’D |2D@? q=24<H6== 2?5 %2==2DD66’D +2< w2J?6D] x’G6 D66? :?5:G:5F2= DF446DD6D 2?5 E62> EC:F>A9D]k^Am
kAmqFE >@C6 E92? E96 H:?D 2?5 E96 492>A:@?D9:AD[ x’G6 D66? E96D6 2E9=6E6D 8C@H] x D2:5 :? 2 4@=F>? 2 76H H66<D 28@[ x 76=E 2 DA64:2= 4@??64E:@? H:E9 E9:D A2CE:4F=2C D6?:@C 4=2DD 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 6?5:?8 E96:C 7C6D9>6? J62CD H96? x 7:CDE 8@E E@ %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD] x DE:== C6>6>36C E96 7:CDE DE@CJ x HC@E6 23@FE #66=E@H?’D EC24< 2?5 7:6=5 E62>[ 962C:?8 ?2>6D =:<6 tC:4 $92H[ r2>6C@? u2:D@? 2?5 z6<6 wF89=6J W2E E96 E:>6 x E9@F89E 96 H6?E 3J |2<6G@?[ D:==J >6X]k^Am
kAm}@H[ E96D6 2E9=6E6D 2C6 36:?8 AFE E@ 2 E6DE ?@?6 @7 FD 4@F=5’G6 E9@F89E 72E9@>23=6] }@?6 @7 FD 4@F=5’G6 6IA64E65 E9:D @C AC6A2C65 7@C :E[ 3FE 7C@> 2== E96 4@2496D 2?5 A=2J6CD x’G6 E2=<65 E@ @G6C E96 =2DE D:I H66<D[ E96J’G6 7@F?5 H2JD E@ AC6G2:=]k^Am
kAmq6EH66? (6EF>A<2’D +@@> H@C<@FED 2?5 $E2?9@A6’D (:==:2> (9:E=@H ECJ:?8 E@ 7:?5 E96 H6:C56DE H2J 9:D E62>>2E6D 2C6 DE2J:?8 D92A6[ A6@A=6 2C6 86EE:?8 4C62E:G6 2?5 >2<:?8 :E H@C<]k^Am
kAmp?5 x H@F=5?’E 92G6 6IA64E65 2?J 5:776C6?E]k^Am
kAmx7 E96C6’D 2?JE9:?8 x’G6 =62C?65 23@FE =:G:?8 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ[ :E’D H6 7:?5 2 H2J E@ AC6G2:=]k^Am
kAm(96E96C :E H2D E96 562E9 @7 =2E6 65:E@C |:E49 $?665 @C @E96C EC2865:6D H6’G6 DF776C65[ H96E96C :E H2D E96 E@C?25@ :? (6EF>A<2 @C E96 52>28:?8 DE@C>D %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ 76=E =2DE H66<6?5[ H96E96C :E H2D 8@@5 E:>6D @C 325 2?5 2?JE9:?8 :? 36EH66?[ E96 A6@A=6 :? E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ 7:?5 2 H2J E@ AC6G2:=] p?5 H6 5@ D@ H:E9 E96 96=A @7 6249 @E96C[ 6DA64:2==J 96C6 2E %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD]k^Am
kAm{:76 2D H6 <?@H :E >2J ?6G6C 36 E96 D2>6 282:?] %96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4 92D 4C62E65 2 “?6H ?@C>2=” E92E’== =:<6=J =2DE 2 =@E =@?86C E92? >2?J @7 FD 42? AC65:4E C:89E ?@H]k^Am
kAmqFE :7 H6 ;FDE <66A DE:4<:?8 E@86E96C[ H6’== 86E E9C@F89 :E] p7E6C 2==[ H6’C6 :? :E 7@C E96 =@?8 92F= — 2E =62DE x 2>]k^Am
