TOWN CREEK — After a couple of years on the ballot, former University of Alabama and Hazlewood High School star, Antonio Langham, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
“It was a surreal moment,” Langham said about hearing the news Jan. 8. “I’m embracing it now and soaking it all in. I’ve done several interviews already so it’s sinking in.
(@NFLPAFmrPlayers/X, YHN)
“I knew I had the ability to be something, but I never would’ve dreamed it would lead to this.”
From elementary school field days to Friday night football then on to college Saturdays and pro Sundays, his Hazlewood classmates have continuously rooted for Langham’s success.
After I shared the news with the Class of 1990 via our group chat, the texts started rolling in:
“Congratulations T.O.!”
Wow! Congrats – well deserved!”
“Congratulations!!! Very deserving, T.O.!!”
“Congratulations Antonio! You have always been a superstar!”
“Congrats Tonio! Ro’Tide!”
“Awesome! 9-0, full of heroes”
“Congratulations! This one was a no-brainer. Well deserved!”
“I’ll say it now in the group but never again …. Roll Tide Roll!”
“Not saying RT but love you fam! We need to celebrate for real!”
And Langham texted back:
“To my classmates/my family, thank you! Mega luv 1990. We in!”
Langham’s usage of “we” is telling. He considers his schoolmates as family. And he credits his faith and growing up in a tight-knit community with his success.
“First of all, God is the reason I am where I am,” Langham said. “Antonio Langham would not have talent if God had not given it to me.
“Next, it’s because of the village, Town Creek. Everybody raised us – the community chastised us and got onto us when we needed it. Town Creek is family. Everyone grew up really close and we’ve stayed close, especially our class.”
(University of Alabama Athletics)
A two-time All-American at cornerback for Alabama and current Miles College defensive backs coach, Langham is one of 19 players and three coaches headed to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame. He joins 22 other Alabama players in the CFB Hall of Fame as well as his Miles College colleague Ronald McKinnon, a 2008 inductee from the University of North Alabama.
Along with the village, Langham also credited the Hazlewood players ahead of him who earned college scholarships.
“The ability to see the guys before me who got scholarships and got out was big,” Langham said. “Guys like Chris and Kerry and Pierre Goode and Chris Mitchell and Tony Harris showed us that the thing we dreamed about was possible.”
The Goode brothers are Langham’s first cousins and played at Alabama. Mitchell played at Ole Miss while Harris played at Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Someone else who helped Langham see the possibilities for his future was his late maternal grandmother.
“When I was 12 my grandmother was on her sickbed and she said, ‘God’s already told me you’re going to be alright. But remember, no matter what happens, you better stay respectful to others and never meet a stranger,’” Langham said. “That stuck with me and I promised myself I was never going to change who I am. I always try to be friendly and cordial and to smile when I meet people.
“I’ve had people tell me I could be in the worst position and I’d still have a million-dollar smile,” he said with a laugh.
“There are two things that define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything. These two things will show you who you really are.”
Langham has lived up to his grandmother’s instructions. While he’s known in football circles for his success, around Town Creek he’s known as T.O., our classmate, the fastest kid on the playground, and the one who is always smiling.
Alumni from Hazlewood High School will celebrate Langham and his accomplishments with a dinner in his honor this weekend.
The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class will be inducted during the 66th National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas. The honorees will also be recognized at their colleges during the fall, with their accomplishments enshrined at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
(University of Alabama Athletics)
Hall of Fame Stats
Finished his four-year Alabama career, from 1990-93, with 141 tackles and a record 19 interceptions.
Led the Crimson Tide to 40 wins in his four seasons, including an SEC Championship and a national title in 1992.
Became Alabama’s first winner of the Thorpe Award in 1993, for the nation’s top defensive back.
First team All-American in 1992 and 1993, unanimous selection for 1993.
Played seven years in the NFL after being selected in the first round, ninth overall by the Cleveland Browns in 1994.
1994 NFL All-Rookie Team after starting all 16 games for the Browns and totaling 61 tackles, a forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two interceptions in his first season.
One of only two athletes who played for the Cleveland Browns before they became the Baltimore Ravens and who then returned to the Browns after the expansion team formed in 1999.
Elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
By Tiffani Hill-Patterson (all photos are from previous events)
Hazlewood High School alumni gathered Saturday, Aug. 26 for an all-classes reunion on sacred ground – the Golden Bear football field. By all accounts, it was an overwhelming success.
A powerhouse in football, Hazlewood High was closed in 2009 after 90 years as a pillar of the Town Creek community in Lawrence County. (The students were shuffled to R.A. Hubbard in Courtland, which was subsequently shuttered in 2022.)
Although the school building was demolished last fall, the community continues to support Hazlewood with banquets, class reunions, and alumni Facebook groups celebrating accomplishments of the next generation of the “Hazlewood bloodline,” even though the next generation is building on that tradition at new schools.
Coach Guin Holland, who led Hazlewood to its first state championship in 1970, loved the school so much that his family spread his ashes at midfield at the 2016 reunion. That love for school, community, and each other is the enduring legacy.
“The closeness of a small community with everyone lending a hand when needed, most everyone knowing your name and your family is what makes this place special,” said Janet Slaton Parker, a 1976 graduate who spent 37 years as a paraprofessional at Hazlewood Elementary School before retiring.
“I am proud of the people who proved to the world that big things can come from a school such as Hazlewood. Blessings go beyond just sports, it goes to the hearts of the people that still believe in Hazlewood.”
We’re the school with the true spirit
My grandmother, my mom and dad, aunts and uncles on both sides, my brother and I, and lots of cousins all graduated from Hazlewood. Most families from Town Creek would likely have the same story.
Members of the Class of 1990 at a reunion
“It was life in an era and place where everyone had everyone’s back,” said Christine Stover Allen, Class of 1988. “Some of my favorite memories are those football and basketball games, for sure. But also sharing Coach Jack Steele with Courtland High School, Mr. George Carter’s history class in 8th grade, break time and buying snacks from the cheerleaders in the girls gym, shoulder to shoulder like it was the first football game of the season against Courtland.”
Last Sunday, the football stadium parking lot looked a lot like it was game day, as Class of 1990 alumna Angela Garner Wilson delivered more than 400 T-shirts. Class of 1965, Class of 1972, Class of 1988, Class of 2001, everyone gathered around Wilson’s truck to talk about schoolmates, play with her grandbaby, and make plans for Saturday.
Someone brought their leaf blower to make sure the space was clean and ready for the crowd to bring life back to the stadium. The grass is freshly cut and the football field lined off.
“It’s going to be nice to see that field covered in purple and gold again,” said Andre King, Class of 1988 and a member of the 1985 state championship football team. “The students and teachers made it special – everyone was friends. We never had a racial problem & we were winning in all sports.”
Wilson is the engine that is making this event happen. After the Class of 1990 had its 33-year reunion in May, she got the idea for the all-classes reunion to bring every Hazlewood alum together and keep the Golden Bear tradition alive.
The mural on the gym wall
“I just felt it was needed,” Wilson said. “After our class had our reunion, other classes said they wished they would have one, but too many wouldn’t participate. I decided to try to do it for the whole school, and if we got five from each class to show up, that would be great.
“I just decided to do it and see where it would go.”
Little did she know how far it would go. “The turnout has been way bigger than I expected,” Wilson said. Proving that the Hazlewood spirit is alive and well.
“We can show them better than we can tell them,” Wilson said. With the number of people expected, the crowd might rival an old-time Hazlewood-Courtland game.
Organizers will have a handicapped-accessible area near the field’s entrance, and thanks to local Coca-Cola and Pepsi suppliers, sodas and water will be available to keep folks hydrated. There might even be a bounce house for the little kids.
Come on fans, let’s hear it
For many, like 1989 graduate Paul Byrd, the reunion is a chance to see old friends before it’s too late.
“Real life met us early with the loss of two classmates: Benjamin Almon and Frankie Crisler,” Byrd recalled. “Our educators, principals, lunchroom staff, custodian, and special parents surrounded us with unconditional love and support.
“With God’s grace and mercy we pressed forward to accomplish many life goals. At our recent class reunion, the energy was very special with both Black and white, young innocent kids then and adults now, embracing real-life concepts 30+ yrs later. Yes, we won a football championship that year and represented the school’s standards, but I’m more focused on the love we still have for each other today.”
A few of Hazlewood’s state championship trophies
Class of 1977’s Kucera Kerby said schools and churches make small towns like Town Creek thrive and because of that Hazlewood will always be part of her life.
“I want to be able to see people I haven’t seen in years. And also to keep Hazlewood alive. In small towns people grow close, and since I’ve been here all my life, that made the school a big part of my life,” the former majorette said. “With all that we have been through, the closing of our school has been painful.”
Kerby said her years at Hazlewood taught her that good things don’t always come easy, and sometimes you have to make your own path. “And lastly, take care of each other. A good friend is hard to beat,” she said. “Hazlewood’s legacy will live on forever.”
All for the Bears
Ritza Gargis Brumley, a 1969 graduate, recalled the caring community that was Hazlewood.
“It was certainly more than sports, it was an atmosphere of acceptance and caring that was always present. Students and teachers looked for the best in everyone and expected it,” she said. “I always felt like my teachers and classmates were family. The Sixties in general was a time like none before or none since!” she said. “We were fortunate to be part of Hazlewood and part of the Sixties.”
Tonya Lipscomb, Class of 1991, agreed with Brumley’s assessment of the school community. Lipscomb’s son, Keenen Porter, was a member of Hazlewood’s final graduating class in 2009.
My brother, Mike Hill, teaches his boys about The Creek
“What makes Hazlewood so special is the bond that we had not only with our fellow classmates but with faculty also,” Lipscomb said. “It was like home away from home. At Friday night football games with the band playing “Our Boys Gonna Shine Tonight,” the bleachers crowded, and all the alumni men standing around the fence, it was good times. Hazlewood High will forever be a legacy. The structure might not be there anymore, but the memories will last forever.” (Incredible find: The link to the fight song is to a Japanese baseball team that plays “Our Boys” during games.)
Lipscomb’s son, Keenen Porter, was a member of Hazlewood’s final graduating class in 2009, when the school was closed permanently.
“It felt like a part of me died,” Porter recalled. “People love Hazlewood because it was a big family and nothing but love was shown – that’s why the bond is so strong.”
Stand up and holler
Class of 2006 graduate Tempestt Wilson also talked about why she felt hurt when the school closed.
“I don’t have a school to visit on homecoming or events to participate in as an alumna,” she said. “My father, Derrick Wilson, graduated from Hazlewood and won a basketball championship. I have six track and field championships, and I’m grateful I got to share that with my dad before he passed in 2021. So many kids didn’t get to experience that.
“We had many great athletes come through, but also doctors, excellent educators, entrepreneurs, and other successful people. I hope this event will be a new tradition to keep Hazlewood alive.”
In 2009, after the final graduation ceremony at Hazlewood
Clarissa Diamond, another 2006 graduate, said what upset her most was when the school was razed.
“When you’re in high school, you never realize what you have. Knowing that the school is no longer standing is really heartbreaking. All we have left is memories and some bricks as souvenirs,” she said.
“But Hazlewood is full of people from a small town who only had each other. We all grew up together and our parents grew up together – everyone knows each other, so there is nothing but love between everyone here. That legacy is why Hazlewood still lives and why everyone loves it so much.”
So many people, from nearly every decade, shared their stories, proving that once a Golden Bear, always a Golden Bear.
More memories
Hollis Jenkins, former math teacher
“Hazlewood — We are family! There has not been 14 years since a student has stepped into Hazlewood High School to begin a school year. Several people have taken photos of our school becoming dilapidated and falling apart. Even though the building representing Hazlewood High is completely gone now, the camaraderie among all the former students and some long term teachers is still alive. That spirit of being a Golden Bear has not crumbled as they brick walls of our school did. I believe that the destruction of our school has brought that togetherness we had back even stronger into the hearts of everyone who walked through and lived in those hallowed halls. That togetherness is what made Hazlewood so special. That togetherness like a family has is what keeps students and teachers returning for such events as the Hazlewood Alumni Reunion for all graduating classes happening on August 26, 2023.”
Mrs.Lura Booth was one of my favorites Mrs Letha Truitt was a Hoot, Mr. George Carter had a Great Personality Always, Mr Brown was a Treasure to be around, Mr. Underwood loved a poem.. Mr. Burch always scared me but smiled all the time, A lot of Good Memories that will always be Cherished at HAZLEWOOD ”81”Was The Best Year!
Mr George d carter one of the best teacher principals hazlewood ever had and also mr Underwood and Mrs counts and Mrs Allen These four teachers molded me into being a good student
Sherman Burch. Taught me a lot. A whole lot. I always thought the world of that man an his Wife Mrs Faye Burch. He had a huge impact on Hazlewood Football people. He was way more than just our principal. Let me say this about coach Sherman Burch. When he could teach a kid that weighed around 160 pounds to be able to push out a 260 or more opponent then he knew what he was doing. He taught us to play football with our legs. Not your arms or your hands. Foot work. Man he stayed on me about it. But once you faced your opponent then you knew what he was teaching you an telling you. Like he always said. Terry if your ass was as hard as that big head you would catch in quicker but with you it takes getting knocked on your ass to finally get. RIP Coach Sherman Burch
1986 was one of Best years! Our Senior year Held the Triple Crown Wins in Football, Basketball and Track! Had great players who went on to play football for Alabama and Ole Miss , just to name a few! It was a privilege to be involved in sports. I participated on the volleyball and basketball team. Had the Best coach Mrs Hagood! My greatest joy was being on the sidelines every Friday Night cheering on our Golden Bears .I was on the Varsity Cheerleading Squd. The thrill of the game and watching our guys playing their hearts out on that field. Hearing the drums as the band made their way through the gates got everyone fired up and ready for some football. Traveling to Auburn for the Basketball State Championship and being there for one of the greatest wins and being part of the History that Hazlewood High School was and always will be Well- Known For Winning Championships! Our school had Great coaches and Great players! Being from a small town and growing up in Town Creek was a Blessing!!
It’s Sad and breaks my heart that our school is no more and there’s no more Friday night lights or football in our small town. I’m so Proud to be a Hazlewood Golden Bear Forever!!! God Blessed our small town!!!
We all have some fond memories from Hazlewood. Some good and some bad, but through it all, we all made it, and I hope we all loved our school even though some lifelong memories were made that brought about everyday challenges and differences. I pray that in the end love won and we did become one.
Finally! After playing at city-owned Braly Stadium since 1949, the University of North Alabama is set to bring football to campus, with the announcement of a new stadium coming 30 years after winning its first national title in 1993.
I always wondered why, even after three straight national championships (two while I was a student), UNA continued to play at a stadium also shared by two high schools – Bradshaw and Coffee before they merged to become Florence High School.
At that 1993 game, I remember sitting on freezing portable metal bleachers that had to be brought in to accommodate the crowd at Braly. It was in the 40s, but it felt much colder … until the clock hit 00:00 and a mass of humanity ran onto the field to celebrate. And I have zero photos. Not even from a disposable Kodak! (Smartphones were not a thing back then, kiddos.)
As reported by Carl Prather of WAFF-48, a new on-campus multipurpose stadium will be named Bank Independent Stadium with an initial capacity of 10,000. (Yes, I work at UNA, and my source for this was Carl. LOL.)
The location? The current practice field and baseball stadium on North Pine Street on campus.
Prather reported that the stadium will host football, baseball, soccer, and maybe concerts. An announcement is expected Friday at 11:15 a.m. during the Board of Trustees meeting.
There are some questions.
Where will people park? Lack of parking space is currently an issue at Braly. Where will they put people on North Pine Street?
Will softball remain at its current facility off-campus at Cox Creek Parkway, or will they move on campus as well?
What happens to the band practice field? Thirty years ago that section of grass behind the baseball field was also the intramural field.
UNA has a rich athletic history, and an on-campus football stadium has been something students have longed for, so this is, overall, good news. And I’m sure the above questions will be answered soon.
As President Kenneth Kitts said after a university stadium workgroup report in 2019, “Our students, inclusive of those in the marching band, on our sports teams, and on our spirit squads, deserve a place to call their own. They deserve a place to call home.”
While I wish this had come years ago and that my daughter would have had a chance to perform with The Roar at Bank Independent Stadium before she graduates, I’m glad plans are now in motion to bring football to campus.
Yeah, I’m crying. In the middle of a tornado warning. After my team lost a game.
But this Alabama loss in the Sweet Sixteen is more than just a loss by my favorite basketball team – it’s the fraying of a thread to my dad.
Dad passed away Jan. 15. And Bama basketball has been one of the few bright spots since.
Alabama sports is one of my connections to Daddy. We watched football, basketball, and even softball together. This basketball season was looking like something special and we were loving it early on.
We texted about the four-overtime win against North Carolina. Then the amazing comeback at Houston on Dec. 10.
“Roll Tide. They didn’t give up. Looks like a good team,” he texted me.
The Alabama-Memphis game on Dec. 13 was an 8 p.m. tip and Dad was tired so he wasn’t able to stay up to watch that win.
He had been diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2021, had part of his lung removed later that summer, had chemo, and got the “all-clear” in December. In August 2022, the cancer had returned and this time it had spread to his chest and liver. Additional chemo had tanked his immune system, sending him to the hospital twice for weeklong stays with infections – once in September and again in November.
So by December he was fatigued and in a lot of pain, but still happy to talk and/or watch Bama basketball.
On Dec. 17, my brother and my youngest nephew came in for a visit. (My sister-in-law and oldest nephew weren’t able to come.) At my parents’ we celebrated my nephew’s birthday with cake and ice cream and we watched Alabama play Gonzaga. Even though the outcome wasn’t what we wanted, unlike last season’s big win, it was nice to cheer on a good, and exciting, Bama basketball team.
On New Year’s Eve, when we walked into Mom and Dad’s house to watch Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, a home health nurse was poking and prodding Dad. After hearing Dad talk about how much back pain he had been having, she called in more meds and Mom went to pick them up.
As usual, Dad and I yelled and cussed at the refs (just a little) and enjoyed the 45-20 win over Kansas State, high-fiving and woo-hooing. Because it had been an early kickoff and we didn’t want to tire Mom and Dad too much, Riley and I came home and chilled the rest of the day.
I texted Dad about the wild College Football Playoff game between Georgia and Ohio State and he texted back: “Good one. Go Dogs”. That would be his last text to me.
Dad’s bloodwork from New Year’s Eve showed another infection and he was back in the emergency room as 2023 began. And he also tested positive for Covid.
After work on Jan. 3, I double-masked and went to hang out at the hospital. Dad wanted a Taco Bell soft taco and Mom needed a sweatshirt because the room was so cold. The three of us Facetimed my brother so we could listen to the recording of the doctors’ prognosis. It was not good.
Not only did Dad have sepsis, the cancer had spread to his spine and lesions were spotted on his heart and his aorta. They couldn’t do a transesophageal electrocardiogram to look at his heart until the Covid was cleared. They couldn’t do chemo because Dad’s immune system was shot. And he wasn’t a candidate for open-heart surgery because of all of his other issues. We were left with nothing but antibiotics.
Even after all that news, after I went home for the night, we texted about the Bama-Ole Miss game, an 84-62 win. My last text to Dad was about the Alabama-Kentucky game Jan. 7. I went and watched the second half with him and Mom at the hospital. Bama won, 78-52, and while he saw a bit of the romp, he slept most of the time.
Dad came home on hospice on Jan. 10, my brother’s birthday, surrounded by our family. The next day we watched Bama beat Arkansas, and I made sure to tell Dad about the game as it went on.
The final game I shared with Dad was the 40-point blowout of LSU. I hope he heard my hootin’ and hollerin’ (albeit quieter than usual) from my spot on the couch next to his hospital bed in the living room. He would have loved seeing that one.
The next day, freed from his pain, Dad passed away. Never have I felt such loss.
And I kept watching basketball and talking to Dad about it.
The photos of us at last season’s Senior Night game against South Carolina are treasures. He was so happy to be in Coleman Coliseum, even though we were practically in the rafters and it took a lot for him to make it up the stairs. The smile on his face in that blurry photo brought me comfort as Bama continued to move forward.
Tonight’s loss to San Diego State hurts. I hurt for the players. And I hurt for myself.
I was so wanting Alabama to make the Final Four and then, maybe, win it all. Every game, every win kept this thread to Dad intact. After tonight, it feels a bit frayed now that the last Alabama season we shared has come to an end.
Riley at The Palace, waiting for the Tuscumbia Christmas parade to start in 2020
It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays in the Shoals as local communities get ready to host Christmas arades, breakfasts with Santa, and winter festivals.
However, only the real Santa and Mrs. Claus will be part of local parades – no impersonators allowed.
Town Creek kicks off the cavalcade of parades on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. Call the Town Creek Library at 256-685-2973 for more information. Registration is free.
The Muscle Shoals Christmas Parade will be Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. with Santa welcoming kids to add to his list at Bank Independent starting at 5 p.m. Register at this link by Nov. 23.
Rogersville hosts its “Hometown Christmas” parade on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. Contact town clerk Misty Michael at 256-247-5446 extension 2 to reserve your spot in the parade. Groups, churches, school groups, businesses, and individuals are welcome to participate.
Sheffield will be filled with merriment on Tuesday, Dec. 6 as the parade marches through downtown. Visit this link to hold your spot in the parade.
Florence hosts its “March of the Toys” Christmas parade on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. The route travels through historic downtown Florence from Court Street to Tennessee Street and up Seminary Street, ending at Wilson Park. Register to be part of the parade by Dec. 1.
Tuscumbia’s parade, originaly scheduled for Nov. 29 before thunderstorms forced postponement, has been rescheduled for Thursday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. Lining up in front of Deshler High School, the parade begins at Main Street.
Festivals
From open houses to merry music to a walk back in time, the Shoals offers plenty of events to welcome the holidays.
Load up the family and visit SantaLand in Rogersville. This year Santa and Mrs. Claus have invited special friends, including the Grinch! New displays include the Peanuts Gang, Whoville, Kringle Lane, a singing Polar Bear and the four-story Bumble the Christmas Yeti. Open at 5:30 p.m. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you can also have your picture taken with the Clauses.
Northwest-Shoals Community College welcomes everyone to breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 9-11 a.m. on its Muscle Shoals campus. Tickets are $14 and can be purchased here. Proceeds go to the NW-SCC Foundation.
Also on Dec. 3, from 1 to 9 p.m., catch the Festival of Yule on Main Street in Tuscumbia. Learn more about the Norse, Germanic, and other mystical cultural lore that surrounds winter holidays. Purchase gifts from local vendors, enjoy a 7-foot Krampus photo op and a 360-degree photo booth. Downtown restaurants will be open, and street food and hot chocolate will also be available.
Once again, Tuscumbia will host its Dickens Christmas in historic downtown on Saturday, Dec. 10. Go back in time to meet Dickens characters, warm your hands at a fire pit, enjoy Clydesdale Carriage Rides, live music, holiday High Tea and much more, all while snow gently falls.
Also on Saturday, Dec. 10 head out to Deibert Park in Florence from 1-3 p.m. for A Deibert Christmas! Everyone is invited to meet Santa outside the Deibert Barn for photos, and storytime. Santa will be reading “A Night Before Christmas” at 1pm and 2pm. This event is sponsored by the Florence Parks and Recreation Department and the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library.
The smell of corn dogs and funnel cakes coated the air and Bob Seger’s “Main Street” played on the staticky speakers when Jake spotted me standing in line for the Tilt-a-Whirl. He wore a purple button-down and jeans. And that smile. Always that smile.
That memory about a junior college crush led me down a rabbit hole of journal entries and early 1990s music. Back then “big-hat” country played on all of our stereos, and Garth Brooks was its king. Listening to him, 20-year-old me swore the connections I made then would last forever.
Read the rest of my piece on how Garth Brooks shaped my college memories at Kelly J. Baker’s Cold Takes as part of her Albums Series.
My short song story for Rabble Lit‘s Working Class playlist in 2017.
Tiffani Hill-Patterson: “Livin’ On a Prayer,” Bon Jovi
“Livin’ On A Prayer” hit No. 1 when I was 15, driver’s permit in my billfold, 1985 Impala steering wheel in my hands, big plans in my head. I’d be a famous writer, find love like Tommy and Gina, leave the struggle behind.
Thirty years later, I’m a secretary by day, writer by night, stretching every paycheck. Romance came and went; a greater love took its place. As my daughter drives our 2008 Kia to the dollar store, the ink barely dry on her driver’s permit, she blasts “Livin’,” and I head-bang in the passenger’s seat, buckling up for the ride.
I’m glad Riley is not off to college this year of coronavirus. I would not like being “quarantined” alone. It’s hard enough not being able to see Mom and Dad or travel to my brother’s. If I couldn’t hang out with Riley, I’d go stir crazy. Even if she’s dancing in her room with the door shut or sitting at the table engrossed in “Bring It,” it’s a comfort knowing she’s here.
And while it’s been weird to spend so much time in the house, we have had fun, too. We’ve been talking about college (her future and my and her dad’s past), laughing at dumb internet memes, learning TikTok dances, reminiscing about her childhood, watching Korean dramas and 80s movies, and putting together her audition videos for the Roar, UNA’s Dance Team. She made it!
Something I haven’t done much that I thought I would is read. I have not been able to concentrate on a page. I managed to finish How to Break Up with Your Phone, but I started it before “confinement.” And, anyway, this is a hard time to be without a phone. It’s our only connection to the world outside our little duplex.
I’ve been working throughout this pandemic–full time the first two weeks, then two days a week the next three weeks, and now back to full time since the governor loosened restrictions on the Stay-at-Home orders. I hope we don’t regret that.
What We’ve Watched Cinderella and the Four Princes Crash Landing On You Memories of Alhambra Book Club (twice) Harry Potter 1 & 2 In the Shadows of Motown Noelle DJ DNice Club Quarantine Instagram Live New Kids On the Block Live Knives Out Bring It (Riley) Waiting to Exhale Romancing the Stone Tigertail Say Yes to the Dress (Riley) Total Divas (Riley) Parasite Babyface and Teddy Riley on Instagram Live NFL Draft Sound of Music Footloose (new one–Riley) Remember the Titans Back to the Future 1 & 2 Star Wars Baby Boom La Bamba Jimmy O. Yang’s comedy special Mulan Brave Little Mermaid (Riley) Return to Neverland The Farewell
What I’ve Downloaded Ritchie Valens Dixie Chicks Babyface hits Songs from Waiting to Exhale Teddy Riley hits House Party-New Kids on the Block Neill Diamond Hall & Oates Songs from Club Quarantine by DNice
What I’ve Bought Food, and a lot of it A rug Flatten the Curve T-shirts to benefit employee assistance fund House Party shirts to benefit No Kid Hungry Abide No Hatred shirt to benefit SPLC Contacts with Transitions coating $28 prescription eyeglasses Two Senior 2020 yard signs (because she missed out on all the fun senior year stuff) Senior portraits
Imagine the sounds of the Christmas season: the ripping of wrapping paper, the squeal of an excited child, jingle bells, the whispers to Santa, and your favorite Christmas carol.
Now imagine the holidays without those sounds. That’s how it was for Riley until she turned 2. With the help of cochlear implants and years of auditory-verbal therapy, she is able to enjoy all the sounds of the season just like any kid with typical hearing, including me yelling, “Riley! Stop shaking your presents!”
One of Riley’s favorite Christmas sounds is a DVD by The Wiggles. The kiddie band was one of the first things she heard after her implants were activated. “Mama, I don’t care how old I get, ” she says, “I’ll always love The Wiggles.” The photo at right shows her gettin’ wiggly during her first holiday to hear. Pretty special, right?
Since then she has sung in numerous school Christmas programs and played three roles in her third-grade-class production of “A Christmas Carol.” Not bad for a girl who, when she was born, couldn’t hear a jet engine if you held her next to it.
When all the noise starts getting to you, stop and think what it’d be like if you couldn’t hear at all. No kids singing “Away in a Manger,” no friends laughing, no voice saying “I love you.” Then be grateful for the sounds. And take some ibuprofen and a nap and get on with your holiday-ing.
So much has happened since my last post about disappointment. I’m not ready to share the details, but if you know me at all, you know it’s been a difficult summer. Instead of writing about that right now, I’m sharing some ideas that I might eventually make sense of, too. Let me know if any of them sound interesting.
Handwritten essay drafts in various notebooks:
Stevie Nicks as the Fairy Godmother of Rock
The Evolution of Baby in Dirty Dancing
My favorite summer spot
Essay/story/joke ideas in Notes on my phone:
Dolly Parton and football
What NOT to say to someone who’s just lost a loved one
Play it where it lies
Always Duckie, Never Andie
Talking to girls about Rob Sheffield
We will be fine. Your friends will be fine. It will be OK. I promise. (Did I lie?) 11/8/16 10:52pm
Rites of passage: So many of my firsts were disappointing
Every boy she has a crush on is dying … crushed under the weight of her infatuation.
The best of the era in music. The worst of the era in racism. Alabama.
If women are so powerful that we can control men’s thoughts through such a mundane thing as our clothes, don’t you think we’d have given them better thoughts? Like … “Let’s pay women the same as men for the same job!” “Don’t rape!” “Let’s take half our corporate profits and feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, make sure a great education is free for all kids, and provide for our veterans!” “Love who you love!” “Women can make their own reproductive decisions!”
TOWN CREEK — After a couple of years on the ballot, former University of Alabama and Hazlewood High School star, Antonio Langham, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Mrs Letha Truitt was a Hoot, Mr. George Carter had a Great Personality Always, Mr Brown was a Treasure to be around, Mr. Underwood loved a poem.. Mr. Burch always scared me but smiled all the time, A lot of Good Memories that will always be Cherished at HAZLEWOOD 
”81”Was The Best Year!
.I was on the Varsity Cheerleading Squd. The thrill of the game and watching our guys playing their hearts out on that field. Hearing the drums 
as the band made their way through the gates got everyone fired up and ready for some football. Traveling to Auburn for the Basketball State Championship and being there for one of the greatest wins and being part of the History that Hazlewood High School was and always will be Well- Known For Winning Championships! Our school had Great coaches and Great players! Being from a small town and growing up in Town Creek was a Blessing!!
bells, the whispers to Santa, and your favorite Christmas carol.
Since then she has sung in numerous school Christmas programs and played three roles in her third-grade-class production of “A Christmas Carol.” Not bad for a girl who, when she was born, couldn’t hear a jet engine if you held her next to it.
Sound Check Mama 