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It was a rainy, dreary day in Flat Rock; all of the regulars had gathered down at The Flat Rock General Store. Ms. Ida, the widow Cora, Bro.,
Farlow, Truth, Hatch, S.R., J.R., my Daddy, “Pop“, C.C.,
even Miss Essex, Slim’s wife (she has been poorly for some time and we hadn’t seen her down at The Store in a month of Sundays). It being a poor hair day, Estelle even stopped by on the way to her hair factory looking for potential customers. My two sons also happened by–Heath, the County Agent/area Extension agronomist, and Dustin, the Gold Kist field man. All the talk from those present at The Store was of the much needed rainfall and how it would benefit the area crops, gardens and pastures.
The rain presented a soothing calm as it fell on the old tin top of The Store. It was my kind of day; dreary days make me smile, I truly love ’em. All I needed was an ink pen and some paper for recording my thoughts. It brought back lots of memories of my mama Masterson’s (maternal g-mother) small white frame house with the tin top just up the road from the Flat Rock community center. How wonderful it was through the years to experience the rainfall on the roof of her house; many people have never experienced such. Of course like most things, I learned to enjoy that soothing sound more as I matured or moved older. The house is gone now but the many memories remain, and not just of the rainfall on the roof top of mama’s small white frame house right here in downtown Flat Rock. There are so many other memories.
As the rain lightened some, the UPS delivery lady entered and asked Slim to sign for a very large package/box. The group all quieted and gazed with interest as Slim begin to open the package. Slim reached into the box and raised an American flag and with a big old smile he exclaimed, “They’re here! There’s two hundred of ’em, mailbox size American flags to be displayed about Flat Rock and our area, by customers of The Store, on Independence Day, July 4th, 2005.”
Seems like almost immediately talk turned to memories of Independence Days past with many varied topics, based on the individual. Heath and Dustin’s memory was that their Mam Maw, my mother, Allee Masterson Potter, always had the flag displayed on the front of her house on the Fourth of July. Ms. Ida, being the teacher, noted that the flag should always be displayed properly, then she made mention of all the military that had sacrificed so much that we could all enjoy each Independence Day. Hatch and
J.R. begin talking about the Independence Day celebrations each year at McFarlane Park on the Tennessee River with the boating and skiing, all day long music then finished off with the fireworks celebration that night. Miss Essex remembered several of her classmates at Hatton High School going off to war and not getting to graduate with her senior class. Truth, the true sportsman, recalled one Fourth of July on Little Bear Creek with Estelle, fishing all day and that night a Braves game on the small camper
T.V. won by the Braves in the bottom of the ninth on a Fred McGriff walk off home run. The memories rolled on and on from each person present.
Like most Flat Rock folk, I have many memories myself of Independence Days and the Fourth of July. My memories are many and vary greatly–Heath’s broken nose, learning to catch a baseball at Daddy’s house, our Georgia kin visiting, home from Auburn, loading and spreading chicken litter all day one year, cookouts, fish fries, homemade ice cream, sports–horseshoes, badminton, lots of fun things with family. My step-daughter, Jennifer, was even born on the Fourth of July in 1982.
Independence Day(s) should be celebrated every day not just on the Fourth of July. Wave/display your flag, pray for our military and the United States of America. Thank God often for the independence we enjoy here in the United States of America each day!!!
Please be safe, enjoy your family, do the ’que, make some homemade ice cream, play whiffle ball with the big and little kids and have a wonderful Independence Day, Fourth of July 2005!!!
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