Wow!! It’s already getting too hot to do yard work. At least that is the excuse I am going to use. I have to dodge my “Better Half” if the temperature is cool outside, but even she can see that summer is here. I have no complaints because she helps me by pointing out the weeds and grass that will take over our yard if I don’t get busy.
As I walked out this morning, I picked up a shovel that I had left leaning against the wall about 10 or 11 weeks ago. I had left a few jobs undone as we made plans to travel. A few months ago she, my beautiful bride, said, “Do you think we can finally take the trip down the Mississippi?” I looked at her and said, “When do we leave?”
I had been talking about taking a trip to the South, where I had actually grown up. I was 19 years old when I first made acquaintance with the Southern states of our country. When you are that young, it is difficult to save money because the Army always had a meal and a place to stay no matter how poor you were before the next payday. I loved that part of America as the folks were so kind and friendly and there were so many new places to see. Of course, getting to the ocean was what we did almost every day in the summer, but it was too cold in the winter to do anything but be a soldier.
I always told myself that I would return to the South after I got out of the Army, but assignments to Europe, schools to be a better soldier and Vietnam just seemed to push that dream away from reality.
After many years passed and meeting my bride, having children, owning a business and life in general we were finally able to visit the part of our country that I called my second home. But first let me tell you how we got there. One evening I received a phone call from an old friend I met while at Fort Bragg, which was a wonderful thing.
Jeff called and said he had been thinking of me and wondering where life had led me. We talked and spoke of the wonder of the music of the South and the people that played that music. Jeff and I had met at a Military Club on post and tried to outdo each other dancing to the music of the time. After reminding each other how crazy we were, we discussed meeting up with each other and letting our wives see how much fun we could have. The plans that we were discussing sounded like the plans we used to have in the Army. Then Lorraine got a call from Jeff’s wife and they found that they both seemed to think alike. They had married two little boys who had lots of ideas but little action.
So Lorraine went to work on a plan. Several years earlier she had met Karen Seratelli who was a teacher at Gonzales High School. Karen taught Culinary Arts and had her students work on a café at the American Legion Hall where Lorraine took care of at the time. Lorraine stayed in touch with Karen and after she retired we learned that she went back to her first love, which was travel. She opened Wanderlust Seacrets Travel in King City. That was a fortunate thing for us as she was wonderful in her knowledge of the South and helped us design a travel itinerary that allowed Jeff, his wife Brenda and our friend Penny to travel together to see the sights we discussed.
So off we went. It was decided that we would take a riverboat cruise on American Cruise Lines, which traveled from Nashville to Memphis.
I was always a faithful fan of Elvis, after all before Elvis we had Pat Boone. I don’t remember any songs of Pat Boone, but I can sing every Elvis song word for word. I suppose you know that Elvis was a blues singer before he was a rock and roller. He became a wonder boy during the move from shaking his tail feathers to ballads that seem to destroy all the other songs of copy cats.
I wanted to see Graceland, the Grand Ole Opry, along with learning all about Johnny Cash from his nephew, Mark Cash. The stories he told and the songs that he sang made us feel like Johnny was right there with us. We walked down Broadway in Nashville and walked into Tootsies, which is where many of the up-and-coming artists play. We also found out that if a struggling artist can’t pay their bill while performing, a popular artist comes in at the end of the year and pays off the existing tabs. Keeping the dream alive is what makes these music cities special.
On another note, which is the most important, I will be a grandfather for the third time. My son Reed and his beautiful fiancé Taylor are expecting their first child. We all celebrated yesterday with what they call a “Gender Reveal.” The family and friends were all there to celebrate and we are having a baby boy. Watch out world, here comes another Worthy. I can’t tell you how happy Lorraine and I are. I look forward to teaching him all about the blues and the music I love.
The past few weeks have been more than special. I was able to share my love of the South with my wife and special friends. I have a new grandchild on the way and I will always have the memory of the South. All and all, life is good and I will always remember the sights and sounds of “Rollin’ Down the River.”
God Bless.
