We came as total strangers.
Local folks had no idea of our background, education, or financial
status. They went out of their way to
welcome us to town. The “money pit” was in the older neighborhood, “Gospel Hill,” but
to us, it was a mansion where we could live out our dreams. Our immediate neighbors were friendly and
polite to us, salt of the earth. It proved to us, that
people don’t always judge a person by the color of their skin or social status
in life, (which we already knew) but sometimes small towns have a way of
scrutinizing a person’s background before they form a valid opinion of their
worth.
Our first encounter with acceptance came from our Landlords,
Danny and Gloria, who invited and took us to the beautiful old Crenshaw UMC and
afterward to the local restaurant, Slaws, for the best home cooked food around. They
made sure we were introduced to everyone in both places on our first visit,
where we were warmly welcomed.
Later after we moved into our home, one of the local oil dealers,
Mr. Robertson, made a special trip to see Sollie at his office. He welcomed him to town, invited him to go to
the Rotary Club with him the next week, and said he sure would like to have our
business. (Our steam heat was fired by
fuel oil). In a few days, his wife,
brought over a baker’s dozen of homemade rolls.
We thought we had died and gone to Heaven! Some of the best rolls anywhere, ever!
I mentioned to someone at church that I needed some mulch for
my garden and asked where I might purchase some, and wouldn’t you know it, a
few days later, I discovered a big pile of mulch in my yard that had been
delivered and shoveled by this dear man, Richard Lee. Richard was a jam up “stew master” for the
Men’s Bible Class, who was forever doing good for somebody. At Christmas, a whole box or oranges and some
apples were brought by the local retired Dentist, Dr. Bradshaw. One of the kindest men on earth who had been paralyzed
by a stroke, but with his caregiver John, he always was spreading good cheer to
anyone in any way he could. I had met him
and his wife while I was walking one day.
They invited me in and I immediately fell in love with them. We received a plate of warm homemade cinnamon
rolls from the dedicated “communion bread” maker for Crenshaw, who was a wonderful
baker! The Yancey’s owners of a local
pharmacy delivered one of her famous Coconut Pound Cakes, greeting us and
welcoming us to town.
The old house did not have central air conditioning. There were some small units in a couple of
rooms, and one barely cooled the room it was in. The
weather that first summer was steamy and hot.
We sweated like hogs while we worked in the house sanding and painting,
working our way up the stairs. One day, a former AG at Fort Pickett, said he
had a huge window unit just sitting outside in his barn, and he wanted us to
use it if we could. Would we? You bet!
It is impossible for me mention the names of every thoughtful
gesture to us during our first few months in Blackstone. What I can mention is, that we immediately
knew we wanted to live right there in Blackstone and be part of this little
piece of Heaven where pride in the community, love of neighbors, and businesses
appreciated our business. What’s not to like about a community of caring and
friendly people who make you feel like you belong?
