Today

AS AN OKAY DAY

In some ways and not so in others...my back still not well so no wood splitting...I had to take my recyclables to the center so loaded up my 3 bins, Plastic, Aluminum and cans, and Cardboard that is all they take, they also take Oil, but I don't do my own oil change.  

Afterwards I went to a cemetery to do some birding, I hadn't been to this cemetery in a long time...and I was shocked to see dozens's of cheap developer 2 story condo's or whatever you want to call them just behind the Cemetery.  So out of sync  with the town they are built in...my home town, a historic town built in 1768.  But to be honest only my memories of the past connect me to this town.  I have been withdrawing from this town for a few years now...it seems like a strange  place to me now.  Not my home town anymore...

They tore down all the schools I attended, they started with the Junior High, (demolished in 1999) the old Gym that I sweated in for several of my teen years, then they tore down the high school. The old Junior High school had been the high school back in the days (1936) See we only had Elementary and High School back in the 50's they started with Middle or Jr high in about 63...So they took the old High School made it the Jr High and built a new High School in 1959.  I couldn't find the dates of when the Elementary School was built the original one was demolished before I was born, the one we were in was probably built in the 30's or 40's and then a newer wing was built about the time of the 1959 High school and the original Elementary building was not in use and was eventually torn down, and just a couple years ago they tore down the 1959 Elementary school...now there is a middle school just built and opened on the sight of the high school the 3 of us went to.  SO all the schools we knew are gone.  

The town and the Bridge over the Wateree was burned by Sherman when he marched thru the south...he didn't destroy the entire town just the business district.  Anyways the only part of our town they are preserving is the main 2 or 3 blocks of it, the rest is NOTHING recognizable anymore.  When they voted to tear down what had been an historic Black Private School, the  Boylan Mather Academy. (c-1887) and they built an apartment complex and pickle ball courts  and a CVS pharmacy I really couldn't believe that.  Much of the buildings had already been torn down...And that Academy was only a couple blocks off the main street, very historic and in use up until 1983. Some of the old Historic district now has McDonalds and Burger King on it..an old Historic Oak was cut so McDonalds could expand their parking lot...I mean really????

In 1947 a Negro Library was built at Jackson School which was the school for Blacks at the time...our county was the only one in the state that provided a library for Black people.  Thankfully the historic black churches in town are STILL here...some lovely buildings that are still in use today.  

So as the town becomes a copy of some many other American towns, I feel less and less a connection to it.  The old Zemps drug store, is now an Antique shop....the old Roses Department Store that was a cornerstone of the retail district was torn down about 5 yrs ago and a tiny park was made, Dibbles store built in 1891 is still there...he was one of the Black general store owners in town.  He would be shocked to see his town now. 

I like to see towns go  out of their way to preserve their historic buildings, and not rip them down and build new...

So anyways down in the old cemetery when  you look at stones as old as 1787 and then look up and see cheap modern made apartment buildings, it's almost sacrilege. 

Just thinking of my town the way it was the day my dad brought us here in 1960 brings up some strange feelings inside a yearning for the way things should have been but weren't a simple time when people were more important investments. 

Personal note

Jimmy my sis's dog is not feeling well...poor old guy he is having a hard time.  You may or may not recall I mentioned  he is diabetic, and he went blind last year and had to have new lenses put in so he could see again, now he is having gastric problems...he went to the vet today and he got some antibiotics cause he had a slight tempt.  I hope he will improve and be okay I'd really love to see him one more time if possible.  Maybe if nothing else I can have a zoom session with him...I do love that ole boy even tho he was a total PIA in his younger days as we all were I suppose.