All Roads Lead Home...October 9, 2000

Littermates of 1970, Listen up!
You've heard it before - "all roads lead home." Don't know who said it first or why he/she said it, but over the past couple of weeks I have come to appreciate the adage. Actually I took to the road and went "back home" this weekend, but I am convinced that I could have gone anywhere on any road, real or imagined, and arrived at the same place, a place I call "home." Yeah, yeah, I know thirty years ago we graduated from Newport High School and, for the most part, left home. Some return occasionally, some return reluctantly, some may have never returned literally. Most of us do return home in our minds and in our hearts and provided you keep those "roads" open, you can go back home whenever you want. And you can take any road.
A few of you have "written" since the last Miles' Files were turned loose. Billie Jean Smart notified me of a new email address (drbarber@ameritech.net). Clay Wright brought me to date on the happenings around Ardmore, OK (the Sooners sure gave the Longhorns a lesson Saturday). Donny Appleton and Victor Proffitt sent greetings from northwest Arkansas. Congratulations to Victor on the birth of grandson #2 on September 7!! Bobby Joe Forrester sent colorful condolences after the Hogs were carved up by the Georgia Bulldogs. Cherry Lou Smith and Mary Wynne Parker scattered lots of love throughout cyberspace. And Rickey (Kathy) Harris sent a reminder of just how old we are really gettin'. Each message received came down a different road, but each one led me "back home."
I have no desire to relive the Arkansas-Georgia game (especially since I can conjure up thoughts of the Alabama game much easier thanks to my time with Donny A. and Gene B. that weekend), but I did make a "turn around" trip to the Georgia game for Dad's Day and breakfast with two of my daughters. While breakfasting at the Chi Omega house, I ran into Gail Thaxton (and her husband Frank) and John Pennington (and wife, Sue). Gail, John and I all have daughters in the same sorority. Road to Fayetteville, trip "home" to see old friends. Almost without fail, I can go to any "happening" in the state of Arkansas and run into a Newportian, or is it Newporter, anyway, someone from Newport.
Go anywhere, take a trip "home." This weekend I made an "actual" trip to Newport to visit my mother. My two younger daughters accompanied me. Friday night we went to the Greyhound homecoming game. I sat with Mike Brand, the old linebacker, who knew much more than either coach on the field. I bet Coaches Massey and Duncan remember that about Mike B. as well. Visited with Mickey Doyle, David Churchman, Mike Fortune, Bill Keedy, Terry Scoggins (Terry's daughter was the homecoming queen), Mary Lou Phillips (Mary Lou's son is the Hound quarterback), and many others at the game. They played a current song over the PA "Who let the Dogs out" and the crowd had a great time dancin' in the stands. The Hounds rallied to a 35-28 comeback victory in the final seconds. Thirty-one years ago, none of the games were that close, but the result was the same as the resounding victories we can easily recall from the fall of '69. Road taken to Greyhound stadium, trip "home."
Saturday I ran into Phil Lassiter and John Pennington (again!) at the Village Grill (Wardell and Dorothy Pennington's cafe). Saw John Brownd taking a leisurely stroll through Remmel Park. Met Freeman Travis in his car on Walnut Street, stopped and chatted just as if we were teenagers holding up traffic to BS thirty plus years ago (Freeman just happened to be in town visiting in-laws). Stopped "Miss Carolyn" Wright during a walk in her neighborhood and talked about Clay and other members of the Wright clan. Went by the homes of Mrs. Eliot McDonald McManus (Phil McDonald's mother) and Miss Margaret Van Dyke to get my usual dose of wisdom. I'm not exactly sure how old either of these ladies are, but believe Margaret to be about 96 and Eliot to be in her late 80s. In any case, they are both jewels in the crown of life. As a younger fellow, I had occasion to drive Miss Margaret to St. Louis a few times to watch the Cardinals play baseball, a passion of hers and mine. Saturday we watched on TV "our" Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves to advance in the league series. I also dropped in on Cherry Lou and reminisced a while. She told me that she is awaiting a "visitor" in the month of October to treat to a "mini-reunion" at the infamous Faye Rubles restaurant (I must not qualify since I can't sit still long enough). Kristine Artymowski was the "visitor" for August and Bobbye Ellen Davis was September's "visitor" of the month. So contact Cherry and head for the Port. A drive around town, a trip "home."
I treated myself to a real nostalgic trip on Saturday night. A few "old Hound dogs" who escaped Remmel Park in the Fifties invited me out to the Silver Moon for the Millenium Reunion on Saturday for all the classes from NHS from 1950 through 1960. Cherry Lou was the guest of Eugene Johnson (Class of '58), so I joined them out there as a party crasher. I saw a few other illegal attendees as well. Sonny Burgess and the Pacers played some good music and a lot of lies were told. I had great visits with Raymond "Curley" & Bennie Sue Massey, Phil McDonald, John & Rosanna Purdy, Fred Denton, Jabez Jackson, Jane Purdy, Carol Jowers, Sue Parsley, Mary Parsley, Donna Joyce Washam, Sonny & Harriet Brantley Lane, Guy Dale Adams, John Burgin, Doc Hawk, Jimmy Burton, Bruce Burton, Camille Wilmans Murray, Anne Wilmans Fisher, Mary Wilmans Parnell, Kaneaster & Lindley Hodges, Harryette Hodges Shue, Phillip Alvis, John & Mildred Minor, Charles Jarvis, Toby McDonald, Luckett McDonald Martin, Jerry & Maude Hinkle, Phil Hout, Jimmy Wilmans and lots, lots, lots more I will recall as soon as the remnants of the "Crown & coke" wear off.
Wow! a trip to the "Moon", a trip "home." While the "Moon" certainly isn't the same as it was when I was first introduced to it as a small boy, the "faces" in the crowd I saw Saturday night made it "feel" the same. When I was pre-teen I would occasionally accompany my Dad to the "Moon" and run drinks to the lads pitchin' cards and throwin' dice. I remember stacking a couple of wooden coke cases on top of one another so I could reach the beer taps to draw a mug or two, gently climb off that perch, and return the mugs of frothy beer to the boys in the back without spilling any. The tips were good. The lessons learned were even better. As I walked across the parking lot on the site of the original Silver Moon on my departure from the Saturday night party, I heard my Daddy order another round as the dice fell on the soft felt of the table. A walk from the "Moon" on the road "home."
All roads lead home said someone wise and insightful. Whether it is an "actual" trip home as I enjoyed this weekend or a "virtual" trip home in your heart like the one I experienced as I walked across the Silver Moon parking lot late Saturday night (or each time I write a Miles' Files), you can find yourself at home no matter the road you're on. Often we walk down memory lane. Saturday night I rushed down memory lane as my eyes gazed upon all those people from home I had known as a little boy, adolescent, turned young man. These "kids" from the Fifties that I had looked up to as a pre schooler and grade schooler. Some of them my baby sitters. Some of them later my coaches and teachers. The older kids in the neighborhood like Carol Jowers and the Parsley girls. What a rush! Now the reunion itself was no better than the Big Shebang of the Class of '70. Keep in mind that we had 85 from our class present for our time together in June. There were eleven classes participating in the Millenium Reunion and it was fun watching them enjoy each others' company. I even picked up a few more dance steps from long ago.
Well, I'm gettin' back on the "road" to the present. Who knows, I may just decide to take a trip back home. I'll meet you there.
Miles from Nowhere ... guess I'll take my time, oh yeah!
joe