The grandest slate of all
By Tom Poland Rocks preserve our feelings, record important things, and tell others that someone dear once walked this green Earth. To the dismay of some, rocks commemorate unjust wars but they’ve also elucidated and educated us. Teachers wrote on slate blackboards and students wrote on slate tablets in the famed little one-room red schoolhouse when penmanship mattered. Rocks give us a way to express emotions. I see boulders spray...
I remember Feb. 18, 1942
By Bill Shepard There is a lot of space between the years 1942 and 2020. Feb. 18, 2020, will be history by the time this story reaches the readers. Seventy-eight years is a long time to remember anything and especially, in the clarity and detail, as I recall the happenings on that Feb. 18, 1942. Yes, I remember. Just mention the name Don Tunstall in any group of old Darlingtonians and there is a good chance there will be some who...
A genuine barber shop
By Tom Poland My great-uncle cut my hair when I was growing up in Lincolnton, Ga. That would be Waymon Walker, Granddad’s brother. Walker’s Barbershop of white concrete blocks stood on the corner of Highway 378 and Main and stands still, though forest green now. To this day I see Uncle Waymon working his straight razor on a leather strop. I see too colorful and fragrant bottles of tonic lined against the mirror. I was just a little...
Camps show students their future
By Tom Poland The blue lake, white sands and green trees of summer camps live on as I recall days at Rock Eagle 4-H Camp. I dare not mention the mosquitoes but canoeing methods, crafts and tree identification broadened my skills. But hindsight’s 20-20. I work with words. If only I could have attended a creative writing camp, you’d be reading a better writer. Too late for me, but not for South Carolina students. They can apply to...
Living with a purpose: Keep your face to the sun
By Bill Holland We all have problems occasionally and there are times when we feel like we’ve been punched in the gut. I felt like this a couple of months ago when one morning I went into my office to start the day and my computer would not wake up. I realize that hard drive failures are not the worst things that could happen, but for someone who writes several hours a day, it’s discouraging to say the least, but in the big picture of...
West End memories: Shaving with a straight razor
By Bill Shepard Have you ever shaved your face with a straight razor? Perhaps an easier question to ask would be, have you ever watched another person shave with one? And a still easier question: Have you ever seen a straight razor? I always said that shaving with a straight razor was a real art! I believe that the last time I can remember seeing anyone use a straight razor to shave their own face was a long time ago, when I was a...