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My grandmother used to say that the only thing permanent in life is change. I have seen a lot of changes the past few years, some good and some not so good. Life goes on, the world keeps turning, and the sun still comes up every morning. In 2009 I saw the passing of some friends. Richard Allen, Jr. was one of them. I was really shaken by his death back in March. He was a wonderful fellow who loved his town and his friends. He was a champion of the underdog in his legal practice. He battled his demons with the heart of a Spartan. I miss his thoughtful emails and our phone conversations from everything to music to politics. At his memorial service back on March 8th, my sadness lifted and went away. Sunshine began to live in the dark spots and today I deal with disappointment with a bit more courage than I ever knew I would ever have. I come home to Tallapoosa now to recharge my renewed optimism. I began to think about Howard Bowman's Store on Head Avenue and how for less than a quarter you could get a Colonial Honey Bun and a Atlanta Diaries chocolate milk. Howard Bowman held court next to the cash register and had the greatest selection on candy in town. I am sure our dentist Dr. Burgess loved that. Can any of you remember Emmitt Robert's store on West Atlanta Street that served the folks in the American Thread mill village? Skinner's on the south side of the Southern Railroad tracks had hand dipped ice cream that was mighty tasty on a hot summer day. Jackson's Grocery in Old Town was where Bertha Dryden had an eternally lit L & M going and reminded us boys that she sold the magazines and comic books on the rack and that she was not running a library. The Smith's had the Red Dot on Head Avenue when I was a little boy. They later moved a couple of blocks west and opened Thrift Town. My first real job was when I was in the 9th grade working for G. B. Evans, Jr. at the Red and White on Highway 78 at Alewine Street. I worked with class mates Pete Medlin and Scott y McClain stocking and sacking groceries. I learned about the produce business from Forney Walker. Forney also could look at the shelves and knew the exact number of cans or boxes need to fill the shelves. Wednesdays were rough as the stock came in from J.L. Lester and Sons Wholesale out of Rockmart and the heavy sacks of flour and corn meal had to be brought up the 19 stairs from the stockroom to the store. Forney was perhaps the strongest man I knew in that he could carry 100 plus pounds of merchandise up the stairs and not get winded. He worked harder than anyone I ever knew. Gary Gray at one time was the meat manager of the Red and White and Mr. Evans and "Stein" as we called Gary gave me a shot at working at cutting meat. I mostly cut up chickens from 7:30 in the morning on Saturday until an hour before closing. I learned a lot from Mr. Evans and Forney about dealing with the public. Their knowledge about giving the people what they want carried me through a successful career in broadcasting. When Evans Red and White closed it was a blow to many of us.

Johnny Holcombe was one of the dearest people I had the pleasure to know. Holcombe's Foodland was a gathering place where people would stop in the aisles or in front of the deli counter and just visit. In his parking lot tens of thousands of dollars were raised for the annual drive for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. His entire family pitched in to make the Rhubarb Jones March Across Georgia a wonderful event. Over the years, it was always my favorite stop because it meant that I came home and I was really moved at my hometown's generosity. When Johnny passed away in November of 2007 it was a traumatic experience for the family and many friends Johnny Holcombe had. The First Baptist Church was packed for his funeral. I was blessed to have spoken at that event to pay tribute to this wonderful citizen of our town. I never knew a man who loved his wife Selma and his children and grandchildren the way Johnny Holcombe did. He treated me like I was somebody long before I ever got a college degree or a job in radio. On Friday the 11th at around 8:45 p.m. I went to Holcombe's Foodland to be there just before the doors were locked for the last time. I remembered Johnny pleased his customers with everything from Bruton's Snuff to champagne buckets. The empty shelves made me reflect on the fact that the store was a place where you could get milk for the baby or Alka-Seltzer for grand paw early in the morning or late at night. The deli at Holcombe's was where the fried chicken and mashed potatoes reminded me of my grandmother's table after church on Sunday. The closing made me remember back the other stores that carried groceries that had closed in Tallapoosa over the years. Brenda told me the store was up for sale. I am only hoping that when it sells the owner will maintain Johnny Holcombe's philosophy of taking care of the customer.

Rhubarb Jones is a Tallapoosa native and is a Distinguished Lecturer in the Department of Communication and Director of Special Projects in the Office of Development at Kennesaw State University. Comments can be sent to P.O. Box 1001, Tallapoosa, GA 30176. Emails can be sent to rhubarbjones@aol.com