Things which captivate me still, regarding my hometown, Monticello, Kentucky:
Blackberries growing along the edge of Sally Burnett Road
Cheeseburgers simmering on Main Street’s Pool Hall grill
Turtles stepping on one another to get pellets at Conley Bottom Resort
Shane Blevins shooting a 3-pointer, the subsequent swish
Cornbread recipes shared at Mill Springs Mill
The word ‘Pull!’ being shouted in a field, followed by shotgun blasts
Horses swimming in an open pond in summer
Church bells ringing at Elk Ridge Baptist Church
Harold Turpin preaching 1 Corinthians 13
Baptism with six friends in a creek one, crisp October
Dennis Wheeler leading a choir on Sundays
Cardinal couples darting from branch to branch at the park
A skier dropping a ski between New Fall and White Oak Creeks
Lake Cumberland reaching into the trees after a rain
Losing a teammate to that same pool one year
Kelda Stringer sharing the Wayne County Outlook with all
The doughboy looking on
Dad driving like Steve McQueen between Delta and Hwy 92
The roar of a Chevy Nova getting me to Bell Elementary
Grandma’s suppers on Tuesday nights
Family reunions at the Memorial Park shelter house
Bus rides to and from Cave Street with Ingrid Coffey
Basketball double headers on Fridays
Kickball tournaments in the Miniard auditorium
Veteran’s Day parades and our pride in hometown heroes
Open lunch at South Creek Mini Mart
Paul Stringer reading Harper Lee aloud
Jimmy Cooper obsessing over his desk
Mountain View Camp and Chrysalis – God’s very movement
Menville Dishman on our family doorstep, inviting us back to church one more time
(*image by Mitchell McGuire, Art Deco rendering/design)
