June 08 '02
Volume 311
On Seeing The King Reprinted From 1997
In reviewing past issues
of More than half the number of present subscribers have never read an issue from 1997, and it's likely those who have won't remember all of the issues. Therefore, I've decided to select four issues from 1997 and reprint them during the month of June. With any luck in remembering, I'll do something similar in June of next year. Here is the first from '97: Gavin Freeman asked, "So, where are you from?" "I'm from Greenville and Pontotoc. I live in Greenville through the week and Pontotoc on the weekends," was my polite reply. Thus, began an interesting conversation with the store manager of the Sunflower Food Store in Raleigh, MS, as we talked while sharing coffee during a mid-afternoon break. I was in Raleigh helping setup the store to receive price change information electronically from SUPERVALU. The entire and involved process is known in my world as putting a store on Host Communications. The day I was in Raleigh was a computer nightmare type of day in which demons actually invaded the computer system and prevented the simplest of tasks from working properly. No, I did not say a virus. It was worse. Only a demonic creature could have wreaked such devastation. When asked to explain where Pontotoc was, I mentioned that it was near Tupelo, MS. More specifically, I stated that Pontotoc was 15 miles West of Tupelo along Highway 6 and about 30 miles East of Oxford. It was the mention of Tupelo that excited Gavin Freeman. Gavin, several years my senior, quizzed me, "Tupelo! That's where Elvis was from. Did you know Elvis?" "I sure did. In fact we used to hang-out together, even made a little music," was my sarcastic reply, as I smiled through lips that betrayed my words. "What did you think of Elvis?" Gavin continued to probe. To a somewhat shocked store manager, I explained that I really did not become a fan of Elvis until just before he died. I did not bother explaining that my mid-teen years were influenced by a Bible teacher at Pontotoc High School, who strongly opposed the music and dance associated with Rock and Roll. She proclaimed the new music came out of Africa and was of the Devil. Nor did I explain that the "good Baptists" of that day were very much opposed to any form of dancing. Having heard my thoughts concerning Elvis, Gavin launched into a serenade of praise worthy a conquering hero or world savior as he replied, "The first time I heard Elvis sing, I thought that was the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. What was that first song - Jailhouse Rock or something?" For the next half hour or so, I listened as Gavin told about his first time to see Elvis in person at a Las Vegas performance; and the time, a few years later, he met Elvis backstage in Las Vegas even got to shake his hand and converse briefly with him. In his monologue Gavin also included, more than once, that he owned every record Elvis ever released. I have seen Elvis fans on television who, with candlelight vigils, mourn his death around the gates and grounds of Graceland in Memphis on special days including his birthday, January 8, and his death, August 16. This was my first experience to meet such a sincere and dedicated fan, especially one who actually got to talk to Elvis. In this electrified atmosphere it was as though I was in the presence of someone who might have personally known the President of the United States. Prior to this experience, the closest anyone got to Elvis, among individuals that I have personally known, was Elese Sansing. Elese told me about her getting to see Elvis outside his home in Memphis. The encounter was before Elvis achieved national fame but was nonetheless being thronged by teens. It was also before the Graceland era, yet even then a chain link fence around the house kept the curious and the autograph seekers at bay. Elese was among several teens waiting to see Elvis as he left the house. She was able to get his autograph as well as some grass from the lawn. I should note the word "grass", in the mid-fifties, carried no connotation with the illegal substance marijuana. It is with the thought of being in the presence of Elvis, that I now relate a family happening of just a few short years ago. Though to set the stage properly, I must first acquaint you with a bit of history. In the summer of 1972, Barbara, Rayanne (aged 18 months), and I flew to Daytona Beach, Florida, to rescue Barbara's mother. Barbara's mom was on a coastal vacation with a friend when, unexpectedly the friend found it necessary to interrupt their journey to assist with an urgent family matter. Lillie Belle had only begun to learn to drive an automobile following the death of her husband in 1968 and was mortified at the thought of driving in interstate and city traffic. She wanted us to drive her back to Ripley and was greatly relieved emotionally as well as monetarily by our agreeing to assist (Lillie bought the airline tickets). To log our travels, we took our trusty Super 8-millimeter motion picture camera (equivalent to today's camcorder without sound) that captured an entire three minutes of exposures per reel of film. In subsequent years, my children have had endless fun viewing the footage of that trip as well as numerous other family recordings. The films sort of petered out, shortly after the birth of our second child. During my work career, I have insisted that family members refrain from calling me at work, especially with regard to trivial matters. I have probably been something of a brusque and unforgiving spouse and father to the violators of the rule. Of course, any trivial matter pursued by non-family members was okay, or any other matter that I deemed important as long as I initiated the call. The rule was established during the days I spent as a market manager. Phone calls were an interruption to my work, and I felt these should be limited principally to business matters. Family emergencies were an exception to the rule. Therefore, upon answering the phone in my Indianola office, I was surprised to hear my daughter's voice and even more surprised to hear the question asked late one afternoon, approximately two years ago. "Daddy!" Rayanne began with a tone of urgency, "Did Elvis ever kiss Jason?" I was more than stunned by the question, but to my knowledge such had never happened. "What?" came my startled response, and Rayanne repeated the question. With mind still racing to comprehend, I declared emphatically, "No!" "Well, he said he did!" came Rayanne's indignant reply. Still limiting my shock to one-word responses, I asked, "When?" "The time we flew to Florida to get Grandmother;" Rayanne excitedly continued, "Jason said when y'all got off the plane in Daytona, Elvis was at the airport, and he walked over to y'all and while Mama was holding Jason in her arms, Elvis bent over and kissed him on the cheek." "Rayanne! Jason was not even born when we went to Florida," I stated. As I sought to elaborate on the Florida trip, words seemed to flow like a torrent from my mouth, which had earlier dealt only single-word sentences. I would later wonder how Rayanne might have missed not seeing Jason with us in the Florida film festivals, or why she would not have expected her family to make her aware of such a happening. Of all the great and grand personality traits that I would have preferred to see passed genetically to my son, few are self-evident. Of the ones that are apparent, the joy in teasing a sibling flourishes. Jason so masterfully spun an unbelievable tale as to make it appear believable to his older sister. Rayanne did not score many intellectual points that day, but she deserves credit for knowing how to get to the truth of the matter by calling her daddy. This is but one of many, treasured, and humorous episodes in the life of my daughter that our family enjoys retelling.
The Corleys Leave Bound For Water Valley Since my wife began working with Habit For Humanity, I've met some interesting people associated in one way or another with the organization that seeks to provide affordable housing for qualified applicants. If one is looking for a free handout, he or she should look elsewhere, but if one on the lower level of the economic spectrum needs affordable housing, Habitat is a place I'd recommend. Among the various volunteers who give of their time and energies to help others realize the dream of homeownership, there are two individuals I've been blessed in knowing. Ken Corley and his wife Glenda have impressed me with their dedication and hard work in helping others. Ken, until recently, has served as pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Pontotoc. The couple have extended their respective talents beyond meeting the needs of their church family into the community they seek to serve. Until two years ago, I could not put faces with their names, but as Linda Jones and others helped plan a reunion for our high school class of '60, I met Ken and his wife as they helped Linda cater our noon luncheon for the class reunion. Since then, I've had opportunity to enjoy several foods prepared by Glenda Corley. I also attended an Open House in their home during the last Christmas Holiday and was amazed by the variety and quantity of food Glenda had prepared for the occasion. I can't vouch for Ken Corley's preaching talent, other than to say the one sermon I heard him deliver was insightful and well planned, but he's a warm and caring person who is sincere in his desire to help others. I think he's been at every new home dedication held by Habitat that I've also attended. Both he and Glenda are skilled conversationalists and possess a great sense of humor. Sometimes their sense of humor is manifested in the form of a practical joke. Joe Steen, a brother in the Catholic Church, works tirelessly in coordinating the manpower and materials needed to construct the houses built by Habitat For Humanity. Working together for the past few years, Brother Joe, Ken, and Glenda, also became good friends. So, when Bro. Joe invited the Corleys to dinner one night, he didn't mind asking Ken to bring a cake from Glenda's freezer to complement the meal he planned to prepare. However, Bro. Joe didn't figure on Ken revealing his plan to Glenda, who substituted an iced block of Styrofoam for a real cake. They still laugh, recalling the look on Bro. Joe's face when he tried to cut the fake cake. The Corleys have been reassigned to a new church field, Water Valley, MS. For the past six weeks, those who know and love the respected couple have held cookouts, hosted dinner parties, and sponsored fellowship gatherings to bid them farewell. It was my privilege to attend one such gathering a few weeks ago. Members of the Board of Directors of Habit For Humanity and others grilled hamburgers and brought homemade ice cream to Howard Stafford Park in Pontotoc where all celebrated having been befriended by the Corleys and in some instances said a tearful goodbye, wishing them the best in their new work. Following the meal, several individuals shared a brief testimony of their love for Ken and Glenda. Toward the end of the testimonials, I, too, rose to thank them for their contributions to Pontotoc and Pontotoc County and for the blessing they had been to me. Though next week they are moving to Water Valley, the fruit of their work here in Pontotoc continues to bless the community. May God bless their work there as richly as it was blessed here.
Bodock Beau Jokes Around The World A few months ago, the New York Times ran a piece on "The World's 'Funniest' Jokes." The jokes were ranked by visitors to the website, www.laughlab.co.uk. The joke receiving the highest rating follows: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are going camping. They pitch their tent under the stars and go to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night Holmes wakes Watson up, "Watson, look up at the stars, and tell me what you deduce." Watson says, "I see millions of stars and even if a few of those have planets, it's quite likely there are some planets like Earth, and if there are a few planets like Earth out there, there might also be life." Holmes replies, "Watson, you idiot, somebody stole our tent!" Not surprisingly, humor varied worldwide. A German Favorite: Q. Why is television called a medium? A. It's neither rare nor well-done. And In Belgium: There are basically three kinds of people in the world. Those who can count and those who can't. Tops in Britain: A man goes to the doctor and says, "Doctor, there's a piece of lettuce sticking out of my bottom." The doctor asks him to drop his trousers and examines him. The man asks, "Is it serious Doctor?" and the doctor replies, "I'm sorry to tell you but this is just the tip of the iceberg." The French were fond of: "You're a high-priced lawyer. If I give you $500.00, will you answer two questions for me?" "Absolutely! What's the second question?" Australians seem to like jokes about hot places: A man left for a vacation to Jamaica. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick email message. Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her email address, he did his best to type it from memory. Unfortunately, he missed one letter, and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher's wife whose husband had passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her email, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor dead. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen: "Dearest Wife, Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Your Loving Husband. P.S. Sure is hot down here." The United States' favorite: A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing. His eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls 911. He gasps to the operator, "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator, in a calm soothing voice, says, "Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is silence, then a shot is heard. The guy's voice comes back on line. He says, "O.K., now what?" Over all, men liked jokes involving aggression more so than did women: This guy runs home and bursts in yelling, "Pack your bags, sweetheart, I've just won the lottery, all six numbers!" She says, "Oh wonderful! Should I pack for the beach or the mountains?" He replies, "I don't care--just pack and shove off!" Women enjoyed jokes that involved wordplay: A man walks into a bar with a piece of tarmac under his arm and says to the barman, "A pint for me and one for the road." Jokes contributed by Lamar Carter Copyright © 2000 - 2002 RRN Online.
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Ridge Rider News and gathering subscriber data for the lead article last
week, I saw that I had, in some years, reprinted past articles for the benefit
of new subscribers.