Old Friends and Good BBQ
When I was beginning junior high back in Reynolds, Georgia, the local high school consolidated with the other county school in Butler, Georgia and although I didn't realize it at the time, this was a pivotal event of my life. I think that it was my 8th grade year that my life-long friends, Scott and Julie Posey, were sent to the school in Fort Valley, Georgia rather than being put through all of the educational uncertainity of local events. This was a tumultuous time in Reynolds, because generational friends were split as to whether to send their children to the the consolidated high school or to send their kids elsewhere. There was a fairly large contingent of parents that elected the "elsewhere" option and that "elsewhere" was Fort Valley High School (about 14 miles away). The parents of the kids that were going to FVHS purchased a used school bus and hired a driver to make the round trip from Reynolds to Fort Valley every day. I was in that group even though my parents had a difficult time coming to that decision because of their loyalty to Taylor County. For reasons too numerous to mention here, it was the correct decision. Scott and Julie just made the switch one year early and Scott would come home and tell my brother and me about all of his new friends and experiences at the new school. One of his new friends was a kid named Chip McMinn and Scott introduced me to him at a gathering somewhere (birthday party ?)! This was the 1965 - 1966 school year and I was in the eighth grade. By the time my freshman year rolled around (1966-1967), I was on my way to FVHS and a whole new life, but I did have one friend there ... Chip McMinn.
Chip and his family treated Scott and me like they had known us all of their lives. We would go over to his house after school and eat snacks before we went to basketball practice. On game nights we would eat dinner (supper) with them, so we wouldn't have to make the trip back to Reynolds. They did everything they could to make our lives better and this family will always hold a special place in my heart.
Chip and I spent a lot of time together during my years at FVHS and he even started dating my next-door neighbor, Debbie Whatley. He was in Reynolds a lot and because Debbie's parents had a swimming pool, we spent week-ends together sitting around the pool drinking iced tea and eating Maryland Fried Chicken (remember that chain??). My mother always considered Chip "just one of my children"! Chip was the star quarterback of the football team and was a great basketball player and would have been a star baseball player, but FVHS didn't have a team. (he would have been a star Tiddly-Winks player if they had a team). He was/is a "natural"!
Finally, in 1970, we graduated and life took us in different directions. I went to the University of Georgia and Chip went to Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennesee on a football scholarship. Later, after several injuries, Chip transferred to UGA and joined the Chi Psi fraternity where he was in charge of their athletic program. I was a Lambda Chi Alpha and although our paths crossed frequently, we were really in separate worlds by then.
But one's best friend from high school is always a part of your life, no matter what the years bring about.
We both live in the Cobb County area, but for some stupid reason, we never really saw each other that much. He married his college sweetheart, Jan, and they have reared 4 children and have stayed together all these years.
At our class reunions, we would tell each other that we would do better, but we didn't. In June of 2005, we drove together to our 35th reunion and had a great, extended visit during the trip. We promised that this time, WE WOULD DO A BETTER JOB OF STAYING IN TOUCH, but we didn't. We have talked frequently, but our families have never really met (I know his wife and I met his kids when they were children)!
The number of classmates who attend the reunions dwindles dramatically each time and some of our classmates have had drastic changes in their lives, but Chip is still the same ole' guy and when we talk, it's like I just saw him yesterday. Since our last reunion, one of our classmates died and during conversations about her death, we decided that we just had to make the effort to get together. What better time than Christmas.
We set up the meeting at one of my favorite BBQ restaurants, BBQ Street, in Kennesaw and finally we got together. We arrived at 1 PM ( to miss the lunch crowd) and stayed till about 4:30 PM. We had a great visit and our whole collective lives flashed before our eyes as we talked. Although his and my parents are deceased, visiting with him makes all those memories of them come back to life.
Like we just saw each other yesterday and just took up where we left off!
There are two things that will always be in my life: Old Friends and Good BBQ!
We're gonna do better from now on. I promise!
Chip and his family treated Scott and me like they had known us all of their lives. We would go over to his house after school and eat snacks before we went to basketball practice. On game nights we would eat dinner (supper) with them, so we wouldn't have to make the trip back to Reynolds. They did everything they could to make our lives better and this family will always hold a special place in my heart.
Chip and I spent a lot of time together during my years at FVHS and he even started dating my next-door neighbor, Debbie Whatley. He was in Reynolds a lot and because Debbie's parents had a swimming pool, we spent week-ends together sitting around the pool drinking iced tea and eating Maryland Fried Chicken (remember that chain??). My mother always considered Chip "just one of my children"! Chip was the star quarterback of the football team and was a great basketball player and would have been a star baseball player, but FVHS didn't have a team. (he would have been a star Tiddly-Winks player if they had a team). He was/is a "natural"!
Finally, in 1970, we graduated and life took us in different directions. I went to the University of Georgia and Chip went to Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennesee on a football scholarship. Later, after several injuries, Chip transferred to UGA and joined the Chi Psi fraternity where he was in charge of their athletic program. I was a Lambda Chi Alpha and although our paths crossed frequently, we were really in separate worlds by then.
But one's best friend from high school is always a part of your life, no matter what the years bring about.
We both live in the Cobb County area, but for some stupid reason, we never really saw each other that much. He married his college sweetheart, Jan, and they have reared 4 children and have stayed together all these years.
At our class reunions, we would tell each other that we would do better, but we didn't. In June of 2005, we drove together to our 35th reunion and had a great, extended visit during the trip. We promised that this time, WE WOULD DO A BETTER JOB OF STAYING IN TOUCH, but we didn't. We have talked frequently, but our families have never really met (I know his wife and I met his kids when they were children)!
The number of classmates who attend the reunions dwindles dramatically each time and some of our classmates have had drastic changes in their lives, but Chip is still the same ole' guy and when we talk, it's like I just saw him yesterday. Since our last reunion, one of our classmates died and during conversations about her death, we decided that we just had to make the effort to get together. What better time than Christmas.
We set up the meeting at one of my favorite BBQ restaurants, BBQ Street, in Kennesaw and finally we got together. We arrived at 1 PM ( to miss the lunch crowd) and stayed till about 4:30 PM. We had a great visit and our whole collective lives flashed before our eyes as we talked. Although his and my parents are deceased, visiting with him makes all those memories of them come back to life.
Like we just saw each other yesterday and just took up where we left off!
There are two things that will always be in my life: Old Friends and Good BBQ!
We're gonna do better from now on. I promise!
posted by George Goddard at
10:34 AM
1 Comments:
George, as Holly and I move back to Reynolds, we are excited to establish a home where all of our friends from the years are always welcome. We will be living across from my grandparent's house and beside your grandparent's house. You should be able to find us. I make great BBQ.
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