Bainbridge, GA

Whew…hard to leave my son's house.  I had to just buckle down, kiss them all, kiss them all again, get in the car, and drive away.  Brusque and brutal (remember, I don't do goodbyes well).  But as I drove away, I felt I should stop by Mom's house one last time to let her know that my trip was continuing.

It was difficult for her to see me go.  Like many parents, she takes it personally when I choose to do something of which she doesn't approve.  I could not ease her discomfort, so I gave her an "appropriate" goodbye (hugs, kisses, smiles, lingering moments…) before racing away to process the disapproval.  

Nomadic Matt has written a great blog about unsupportive friends and family, but I have to say that nearly everyone I know does not fall into that category.  Thank you for that.

So…after missing a turn or two (my brain was dysfunctional for a little while), I got on Interstate 10 and headed for Bainbridge, GA., where I would be staying with the president and founder of Secular Woman. 

Now, Georgia, for me, is a great deal like Florida.  I married a Georgia boy (back in the day), and I have lived in Jesup, Alma, Albany, and Tifton.  I got my teaching degree in Valdosta; my favorite hangout town was Savannah, and I have been through and into many towns because of high school football.  I have been to Atlanta on many occasions, of course, and I spent a day touring Macon with an Allman Brothers Band aficionado.  So, Georgia isn't a new adventure for me; it is another tour of nostalgia…if I chose to make it so.  I didn't. 

Bainbridge isn't far from Tallahassee, Florida, and my host delighted me by accompanying me to the Trayvon protest there.  We stayed for a little while, listening to the protesters practice their interviewing skills.  We were impressed by the willingness of so many individuals to put themselves up for critique.  (We went the day before the celebrities started showing up--I was glad of that.)

The following morning, I took a walk into downtown Bainbridge where I discovered Willis Park, a charming garden style park complete with a Victorian gazebo and fountain where the community gathers for entertainment and relaxation throughout the year.  What is not mentioned is the array of war memorials there--from the Civil War through Iraq and Afghanistan.  

I spent a great deal of time pondering these memorials and the dead men they honor.  I hate war.  I suppose it may be necessary…?  Fighting for power, for land, for resources….or maybe morality…perhaps revenge…or sometimes just because people couldn't compromise--at least one side was determined to have its own way.  To see the names of these men is troublesome to me, bringing only sadness.  

So I went to the local coffee shop and heard a joke:

"I told my husband that he has to start making me my coffee.  Yeah, it's in the Bible:  Hebrews."

I must be tripping…

julie

And for my grandchildren in Jacksonville:

While at MOSH, my grandchildren and I were walking through the history of Jacksonville exhibit.  They spotted a barber's pole.  "What is that?" they asked.  And I explained.  So, hear you are, kids, a real barbershop with a barber's pole.