Reading Article
Old Friends and New Beginnings … Literally
As a former Atmore resident of almost 15 years, I have passed into and out of Atmore’s city limits many times. Always, upon returning home, I got a warm feeling inside when that old familiar sign came into view. We all know it. It proudly proclaims our town as a place of “Old Friends and New Beginnings.” For me that message is truer now than it ever has been.
Coming home is always a comforting prospect. It can, however, also be a nerve wracking one, especially when you are returning to do a job that everyone in town will be able to view and critique. For me, the butterflies in my stomach were alleviated almost instantly following my arrival. All it took to calm my nerves was the first smile and warm greeting from an Atmore resident I knew. And it only got better as the day went on.
A short seven hours after I rolled into town I was hard at work with Sherry visiting local businesses as we distributed the latest edition of atmore magazine. I was both pleasantly surprised and impressed by how many people, who I did not know, who were already aware of my presence in town because of the Atmore News article. I was also excited and reassured of my decision to return home by the plethora of businesses that commented on the magazine’s high demand among their customers. It did not seem that Sherry and I could get the magazines into the various establishments quickly enough.
It was a great morning for me, getting to know new people and seeing that the publication I would be working for was trusted and popular with Atmore residents. As great as those things were, however, it was the reconnections I made with people I knew that was the most refreshing. It was a bit as if I had stepped into “A Christmas Carol,” with Sherry guiding me through a tour of my own past. Some names and faces I immediately recalled. Others were not so clear, but a smile or mannerism told me the person was familiar and a friend.
I could see that some things in Atmore had changed over time, while others seemed to have remained exactly the same. The tree line, or lack thereof, throughout town reminded me that Hurricane Ivan had visited Atmore since my departure. I felt a strange twinge of geographical confusion when I noticed missing landmarks like the skating rink and saddle club on Highway 31. I even got a little panicky when I saw the Walgreens on Main Street, until I remembered that David’s Catfish had simply moved down the road.
I could see things were different, but not everything was a complete shock. I could also see that comforting staples of Atmore did remain. Orange and blue and crimson and white still divide our streets no matter what time of the year it is. Mayor Shell is still taking care of us in office, the old silo and train trestle still remind me I am almost to my mom’s house and I am still unable to keep count of all of the churches in town.
Sometimes, as we go about trying to find our places in this life, it is easy to forget where we come from and the people and places that have shaped who we are. I was lucky enough Wednesday to get a first-hand reminder of those things from my own past, and it is clear to me now that even I have not changed as much as I thought. Despite hard economic times in our country, natural disasters pounding our home and neighbors and the inevitable changes that come with time, Atmore still makes me feel like a kid surrounded by friends and family. Now, as I prepare to bring my own family into the community I know that because of my old friends our new beginning will be a great one.
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