sept 8

I start looking at the clock on Friday afternoon and trying to anticipate the time to beat Cobb County traffic to head to Tallapoosa. My kids love the route through Paulding County past landmarks as Pumpkinvine Baptist Church, Rose's Store, and Draketown's First Amendment's champion's beer joint. I find his flashing sign mighty negative and hateful but a lot of people died in battlefields from Valley Forge to Afghanistan the past couple of centuries so he could have that right.

I have noticed that the closer you get to Buchanan on Georgia 120 the more waves you get. Seems people get friendlier the further west you go. Its just a personal observation.

I recently saw Mike McBurnett riding his motorcycle in town. His dad bought him his first one when many of us were just getting the hang of a Western Flyer two-wheeler. Mike is married to a sweet lady who is part of the friendly staff at People's Bank and I am in hopes that she is the one who balances the checkbook in the McBurnett household.

I am wanting to get up with Sam Farmer soon to see his take on the November elections. He has been to Iraq in the past few years serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserves more than I have gone to see the Falcons. Sam is one of my classmates that I truly admire for his genuine love for our nation. Thanks Sam for making us proud.

Jack's on the east side of town seems to be a big gathering spot on weekends. I recently met Frances Westfall who is the hairdresser to Dr. Betty Seigel the President Emeritus of Kennesaw State. Frances told me how she enjoyed the Tallapoosa Journal columns and she pointed out her hair salon is only 3 miles from our house in East Cobb County. She graduated from West Haralson High School back when Webster Smith was principal and Roop Caswell was the king coach of the hardwoods in our part of the world.

I remember the huge basketball rivalry Tallapoosa High and West Haralson had "back in the day". Back then Coach Caswell's Tigers could have beaten the Boston Celtics.

West Haralson can also boast Howard Shealey as a member of the class of '67. Howard holds degrees from West Georgia and Emory University and today he is the head of the Department of History and Philosophy at Kennesaw State. Dr. Shealey and I recently had a stimulating conversation on fishing in the Tallapoosa River, what "Frog" Burgess had as his first name on his birth certificate and the "hot" tricked out cars in front of the Tasty Treat back in the 1960's. I teach in a windowless 45 seat class room in the Social Sciences Building. Howard is teaching his class this month in Tuscany Italy. He recently helped a nervous rookie faculty member with his syllabus and what to expect from students. Dr. Howard Shealey has become one of my favorite people.

You know what? The Tallapoosa City Council should honor this fine son of our city. Shifting to politics and you have to admit, politics is rather shifty. The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are over. Only two more months of finger pointing, mud slinging, blame, and innuendo from both sides before we go to the polls.

Rhubarb Jones is a Tallapoosa native and a distinguished lecturer in the Department of Communication at Kennesaw State University. Comments are welcome at P.O. Box 1001, Tallapoosa, Georgia, 30176. Email comments to Rhubarbjones@aol.com