a moveable feast

 

Christian Brothers Association group photo (late 70's).
There's a bunch of people who are absent and wish were represented here
(David A, David B, and David C to name a few).

Our old coffeehouse ministry had various locations as well as various names.  What started out as a prayer meeting of high school and college kids ended up a small coffee house starting as FREE House which was located at 212 South 5th Street downtown Gadsden.

Around the time of Emory Bogg's death, we had moved to a small house on 253 College Street across from the Gadsden Public Library.  The little house is no longer there.  The place was simply too cramped from which to have room to fellowship, let alone sell books and records.  I was a junior in high school at the time and a member of Central United Methodist church on 11th Street.  Many of FREE house members were also members of Central too.  I started inviting friends to the Youth House at 1123 Christopher Street which was owned by Central UMC, located right behind the church.  I have a lot of good memories of our meetings of having FREE house.

There was a point where the ministry started growing.  It was about that time that Christian Brothers Association was formed.  We moved our activities to a larger location at 235 South 6th Street.  The back 2/3rds of the building was used by a daycare.   The entire front of the building was perfect for our book and record store and coffeehouse meetings.  Many people still referred to our meetings at FREE house, but most were calling it Christian Brother's Coffeehouse.  Christian Brother's Association had a lot going on by that time.  Our primary function was the coffeehouse fellowship.  There was a big demand for Jesus Music and we were the place to plug into the music with Christian Brothers' Books & Records.  By 1977 we had our first 'No Jive Jesus Is Alive Falls Festival' at Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds.  We amassed a rather large sound system for the festival and ended up going on the road with it with Christian Brother's Rent-A-Sound.  CBA rented out systems for both small and large events.  Even though we grew into doing many things, the coffeehouse, that little fellowship remained the core ministry.

In the early 1980's Christian Brothers Association moved to it's final location at 421 Broad Street where Gadsden Vineyard Church resides today.  The building had a nice old skylight and we appreciated the spiritual implication and named the coffeehouse SKYLIGHT. Christian Brothers continued ministry until 1998.  Upon dissolving the non-profit organization, we gave the building to the church that had been renting from us for their Sunday services - giving the church a permanent home.  You can still find see a small number of old Christian Brother Association members (and their descendents) amid that congregation today.

People came and went down through the years.  We moved multiple times and went by various names.  We had a twenty five years run and it was a great experience.  Though the coffeehouse is gone, the friendships I made there down through the years are forever.  No matter where we are now, we share a common past and good memories. We will always love each other, remember each other as Christian brothers and sisters.

God bless each of you in your ministry today.

two wheeled memories

I was ten years old and really wanted my own bike.  I didn't just want any bike.  I wanted one of those new cool looking bikes with high handlebars and a banana seat.  I didn't get a new bike for my birthday.  Dad bought an old bike from a buy and sell show that would come on every Saturday on a local radio station.  It was a worn and rusty bike some guy had under the eave of his house with some other worn and rusty old bikes.  Dad seemed to be very pleased with the bargain, but I was beginning to think I was getting the short end of the deal.  The rusty old bargain was loaded into the back of our Ford Fairlane station wagon and brought home.

Dad got Brook to help me sand the rust off that Saturday afternoon.  Afterward, a coat of silver paint was sprayed onto it.  It was starting to look alright.  Dad picked up some nice fat-knobby tires and a new chain from the Otasco at the Agricola Shopping Center.  Otasco didn't carry those new fangled high handlebars or banana seats.  No one carried them in town.

Dad asked around and found out he could order the items through J.C. Penney on Broad Street.  The order pick-up department was at the back of the store and there was parking lot and entrance in the back which made it quicker to access.  I had to wait about two weeks for my high handlebar and banana seat.  To me, it felt like an eternity.

I remember the day they came and opening the boxes.  Wow!  I started getting excited about the old bargain bike.  I had to wait till the following weekend until Dad and Brook could put on all the new parts.  When I say dad - I mean that dad oversaw Brook.  He was good at giving instructions from the sideline.

My bike never looked brand new, but that didn't matter to me.  My bike was unique and it was MY bike. It wasn't a pretty bike, but it was durable and custom made for me.  I rode that bike all over the mountain.  I rode it on roads and off, up and down steep hills, shortcuts through people's yards, through bumpy trails in woods.  I road my bike throughout the rest of my childhood, through every season of each passing year.  I rode it until it could carry me no long.  It served me well.

maybe just my memory alone

As I've mentioned a gazillion times here within this blog ~ I grew up on the mountain on Scenic Highway.  As a kid, like most of the kids I knew, I stomped all over Lookout Mountain neighborhoods. 

I'm thinking of one road in particular today ~ Agricola Drive.  Most of it was a long stretch of dirt road back then that I'd walk or ride my bike down countless times forth and back.  Agricola wasn't a high traffic road, usually if I walked with pals, we could stroll right down the middle side by side without having to move to the shoulder in single file.

Agricola Road was a nice walk from my front door.  To take the long way, I'd just travel up Scenic Hwy until I reached Tuckahoe Golf Course and then take a horseshoe right turn onto Agricola Drive.  It was a little longer with a few uphills on the way.  When starting on Agricola Drive from the top, the golf course would be on the left.  My mind still sees the road as it runs by a little dump site right at the edge of the golf course.  Every now and then I'd go dump diving with a friend.

The dump was at the end of Hazel Drive.  That was where my shortcut would come out if I wanted to get to Agricola Drive quicker. There were no uphills to Agricola Drive, a really quick fun trip if on a bike.  I could zip and zig-zap my way to Agricola in no time.  I'd pedal down the hill in my front yard, on across Scenic Hwy, onto and across my neighbor's yard.  I really didn't have to pedal much.  We had some nice steep hills in my old neighborhood.   I'd cross over onto Red Oak Road and ride down to where the Condra's lived.  I'd take a sharp left up the Reese's driveway and pedal on through their flat backyard which took me to Hilltop Road.  I'd connect with Hazel Drive then to Agricola (close to the little dump).

Once on Agricola Drive, it was downhill all the way.  From the dump I remember the sharp curve in the road that ran by an old farm house.  Classmates, Karen and Rusty Morgan used to live there for a short time.  They had a sour apple tree in their backyard.  I never was invited in when on a visit, but was invited to play in their yard and partake of the fruit thereof.  The Morgans moved before we graduated elementary school.  It's been a long time but I still remember them.

After the sharp curve the Agricola straightened out for the rest of the way to Fairview Road.  There was a little cottage on the right where a little lady always seemed to be outside in her straw hat and apron working in her garden.  It was a small tract of land but she made use of every inch of it with flowers here and vegetables there.  It was very quaint.  It was about there that I could see the rear of Pearly and Ben's Store in the far distance.  Pearly and Ben's was my usual destination.

Almost immediately to the left of the little lady's cottage was a large pasture on the left that extended along down Agricola to Fairview Road. Pine trees lined the boundary of the pasture, dense vines and weeds covered the rusty fencing.  Sometimes cows could be seen scattered in the field.  Most of the time the field was vacant of cattle and full of weeds.

This was the eerie area of Agricola, because in the overgrown field was an old two story abandoned house.  The boards were rotten and dark.  The windows were vacant and black.  If ever there was a real haunted house, it was that house on Agricola.  If I were afoot, I'd quicken my pace.  If I were on my bike I would tighten my grip on the handlebar pedal a little faster.  I would never coast by that place.

I liked Agricola Drive except for that old house.  Anytime I walked by it, my heart would find it's way into my throat.  Once or twice I ended up making the return trip home a little too late for my liking.  I was on foot and did not like walking the way back up that road at dusk.  The house seemed to have moved even closer to the road.  It seemed to have a spirit about it, the blackness within the windows even blacker.

I had dreams of that place countless times as a young boy.  In the dream there was only one street lamp and the light from the street lamp offered the only safety for me.  Dusk would quickly turn to night and I had to run, run and run up that dirt road into the night if I ever wanted to make it home again.  There was no quick way, no safe way, no light for my feet.  I had to pass that old house and hope that I woke nothing that dwelt in it.  I ran as fast and as quietly without sobbing - only silent tears.  It was a horrific dream for a 10 year old.

The road now is paved.  Pearly and Ben's Store is gone.  The old house no longer in the field or in my dreams.  It's all very different there, but the memory is still very vivid.

not your average joe

Joe Piscopo is a multi-talented and funny fellow.  I used to look forward to his skits on Saturday Night Live, especially the ones with Eddie Murphy.  Those two guys made a great comedic duo.  Eddie quickly found his place on the big screen when he left SNL, but Joe didn't seem to catch hold of his shooting star.  Joe was one of the most talented cast members to come from the show.  Was sketch comedy and stand up all he wanted to do?  Maybe he never got the right vehicle for a career on the big screen.  Maybe he doesn't really care for acting.  Did his bout with cancer in the early eighties change his direction?  I always wanted to see Joe Piscopo do some more acting.

He did a great job playing opposite Michael Keaton in Johnny Dangerously (1984).  I remember going to see Joe in Dead Heat (1988) in which flat-lined.  In 1986 Joe also starred in a Brian de Palma comedy with Danny DeVito in Wise Guys.  Other than Johnny Dangerously, most of the films Joe starred in are forgettable.  Other very talented SNL alumni, for some unexplainable reason, didn't make a successful move to movies as did previous alumni.  I'm a fan of Phil Hartman and Dana Carvey, Victoria Jackson and John Lovitz...those guys can made me laugh.  They just didn't translate to the big screen as much as I had hoped.  Phil did go on to play a wonderful role that suited him in the sitcom Radio News.  Lovitz has done some good supporting rolls ~ but not much playing the lead.

The thing is, I still like Joe.  I don't see him much anymore.  Truth is, Joe does his own thing.  He never cared for the Hollywood game. He likes doing stand-up and grateful for all that did come his way.  I don't think he ever saw himself as a movie star, but enjoyed just being a part, he loves those supporting character rolls.  He's a guy that doesn't have to have all the limelight~ he just enjoys being in the cast ~ a part of the team. 

I'd still like to see him in a good roll.  I know he's big screen worthy.  I've seen what he's got ~ more than a lot of other joes up there on the screen.

Please can I can I?

My dad would be at the wheel of our the Kingswood Estate station-wagon as we made our annual trips to Columbia, South Carolina to visit with kinfolk.  Whenever dad needed to pull over for a fill-up, I'd ask him stop at a Gulf Service Station.  There was a time when Gulf handed out a free Wonderful World of Disney magazine to children of their patrons.  I loved these magazines because I loved anything Walt Disney.  The publication was chock full of colorful photos, illustrations, articles and activities to keep my mind occupied on a long road trip.  Most of the time, if convenient, dad would comply and pull over at a Gulf.  I was terribly disappointed several times when dad would pull over only to find out the station had run out of their supply.  There was a time when Gulf started selling them and dad and mom weren't about to spring the money for it.  It was fun while it lasted.