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| Cousin Steve's daughter Lindsey Parker with her three kids |
For all I know, my Alabama family may be as out of step with their state as Julie and I now find ourselves to be as Republicans in California. In any case, they are the Alabamians I know and love.
It's said that more people in Alabama identify themselves as fans of either Auburn or Alabama football teams than as Christians, which in the Bible-belt is really saying something. Within my own family, there's a split on that.
Aunt Ann's branch of the family goes with Auburn, where her great-grandson Cameron will soon be a freshman, following in the steps of his mother, Lindsey, who is a nurse living in Mississippi with her husband and three children.
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| Cousin Reba and her granddaughter Kaitlin Homler |
Angie's sons Zach, who had lunch with us in Prattville, and Jonathan, who now lives in Mobile where he's an engineer for Chevron, both graduated from Auburn.
My cousin Donald likes to say, "Alabama is blessed to have two great universities: Alabama and Troy." If you haven't guessed, he graduated from Troy University. At the Catfish House dinner, his granddaughter Natalie seemed more interested in Disneyland, but I'm guessing Troy or Alabama for Donald's grandkids.
My cousin Donald likes to say, "Alabama is blessed to have two great universities: Alabama and Troy." If you haven't guessed, he graduated from Troy University. At the Catfish House dinner, his granddaughter Natalie seemed more interested in Disneyland, but I'm guessing Troy or Alabama for Donald's grandkids.
My cousin Reba's granddaughter Kaitlin just graduated from Mississippi State, so she doesn't seem overly committed one way or another on the Auburn/Alabama issue.
As you can see from this sampling, even within our family there are differences on the most basic of issues.
In addition, it shows how subsequent generations have spread out, not necessarily thousands of miles across the country like our daughters, but far enough to make it inconvenient to schedule in a whirlwind weekend visit by relatives they barely know.
My much beloved mother made a summer pilgrimage to her birth state every year, and each year when she arrived, that became a rallying call for a big family reunion. As a boy, I figured the whole family got together like that every week, which they didn't, I learned later. And back then, they all lived within a reasonable driving distance.
On one of her later visits when Mom must have been older than I am now, the cousins convinced her to take a jet ski out on Lake Martin. Now that may not seem that daring, but consider that she did not swim most of her life. She rarely went in the water anywhere when I was growing up.
I'm sorry I missed that. We did have an opportunity to visit beautiful Lake Martin for lunch at Kowaliga Restaurant, where the "Wooden Indian" that inspired the now culturally inappropriate song by Hank Williams still stands.
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The gorgeous lakeside restaurant has a diverse menu.
Having overeaten for so many meals in a row, I needed a break, so I went with a $5 Spinach and Arugula Salad with Berries. I doubt that is a big seller in Alabama, but it would have made my currently vegan kids who didn't make the trip happy.
The best choice probably was the Catfish Fillets plate, which Darlene and Brooks split and said was fantastic, but when the burgers and fries came, I have to say that was what made me regret my choice. That's what Julie and I would normally split at the Lighthouse or Chopper's, our usual haunts in California and Montana, but she went with a Kowaliga Chicken Salad, which she said was terrific if a bit too much to eat.
Later that afternoon, Darlene and Brooks were heading to the airport in Atlanta to return home, and we had two other carloads following them as far as Auburn.
Our destination wasn't the University but rather Chewacla State Park, on the other side of the highway.
From the time I was small, I knew that during World War II, my dad and mom met at a park, where my dad was throwing his knife at a tree, so when Aunt Ann asked if we wanted to see where they met, we emphatically said yes.
I had assumed the park must have been close to the family farm, but it was actually quite a ways down the road. My dad was a soldier training at Fort Benning, only 4 miles away from Chewacla Park.
As a young soldier from the desolate plains of North Dakota, Dad must have felt like he had found the Garden of Eden, with lakes, rivers, waterfalls and of course the rolling green hillsides rich with lush foliage.
And who should appear but a high school girl with a bubbly personality, laughing eyes and an engaging smile. He was hooked.
Aunt Ann said Mom had a boyfriend who wasn't happy about her meeting a new beau, and I assume Dad being a northerner didn't help matters.
In any case, they had a wartime accelerated courtship, and before he shipped off for the Normandy invasion, they married.
Only he didn't get sent for D-Day after all.
Dad told me he was pulled out by "the brass" because he had what sounded like a Jewish last name, although I can't find record of any official policy like that. Perhaps it was just a particular officer, or maybe that was something he conjectured based on speculative talks with his Army buddies. In retrospect, my own theory is that he was more likely pulled from what at the time was a top secret invasion of German Nazi-controlled territory because our last name is definitely Germanic, making him a potential liability to the cause.
Had my dad been at Omaha Beach for that invasion 75 years-ago, he might easily have been shredded by machine gun fire like so many young soldiers, as graphically illustrated in Saving Private Ryan.
Perhaps I would not be here, or at least not with my current genetic makeup.
Perhaps my dad would not have re-enlisted to serve during the Korean War and not been stationed in Fort Ord, California.
And just maybe, I would never have grown up in California, which turned out to be paradise for me.
Yes, I love my Alabama family and am happy to have the opportunity to visit them, but I also loved growing up in what is now derided as the granola state by many besides cousin Donald.
Furthermore, while Alabama still has lots of points in its favor, I understand why my children have ended up where they now happily live for their own reasons. What a wonderful country we call home, with so many amazing choices.
As you can see from this sampling, even within our family there are differences on the most basic of issues.
In addition, it shows how subsequent generations have spread out, not necessarily thousands of miles across the country like our daughters, but far enough to make it inconvenient to schedule in a whirlwind weekend visit by relatives they barely know.
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| Mom Jet-skiing at Lake Martin A Few Years Ago |
On one of her later visits when Mom must have been older than I am now, the cousins convinced her to take a jet ski out on Lake Martin. Now that may not seem that daring, but consider that she did not swim most of her life. She rarely went in the water anywhere when I was growing up.
 |
| Emma and Her Aunt Darlene |
.
The gorgeous lakeside restaurant has a diverse menu.
Having overeaten for so many meals in a row, I needed a break, so I went with a $5 Spinach and Arugula Salad with Berries. I doubt that is a big seller in Alabama, but it would have made my currently vegan kids who didn't make the trip happy.
The best choice probably was the Catfish Fillets plate, which Darlene and Brooks split and said was fantastic, but when the burgers and fries came, I have to say that was what made me regret my choice. That's what Julie and I would normally split at the Lighthouse or Chopper's, our usual haunts in California and Montana, but she went with a Kowaliga Chicken Salad, which she said was terrific if a bit too much to eat.
 |
| Gina, Emma and Laszlo standing close to where my Mom and Dad met |
Our destination wasn't the University but rather Chewacla State Park, on the other side of the highway.
From the time I was small, I knew that during World War II, my dad and mom met at a park, where my dad was throwing his knife at a tree, so when Aunt Ann asked if we wanted to see where they met, we emphatically said yes.
 |
| Emma, Gina and Wes at a Waterfall in Chewcla Park |
As a young soldier from the desolate plains of North Dakota, Dad must have felt like he had found the Garden of Eden, with lakes, rivers, waterfalls and of course the rolling green hillsides rich with lush foliage.
And who should appear but a high school girl with a bubbly personality, laughing eyes and an engaging smile. He was hooked.
 |
| Emma On River Boulders at Chewacla Park |
In any case, they had a wartime accelerated courtship, and before he shipped off for the Normandy invasion, they married.
Only he didn't get sent for D-Day after all.
Dad told me he was pulled out by "the brass" because he had what sounded like a Jewish last name, although I can't find record of any official policy like that. Perhaps it was just a particular officer, or maybe that was something he conjectured based on speculative talks with his Army buddies. In retrospect, my own theory is that he was more likely pulled from what at the time was a top secret invasion of German Nazi-controlled territory because our last name is definitely Germanic, making him a potential liability to the cause.
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| Mom's High School (and elementary school, actually) |
Perhaps I would not be here, or at least not with my current genetic makeup.
Perhaps my dad would not have re-enlisted to serve during the Korean War and not been stationed in Fort Ord, California.
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| Julie, Wes, Darlene, Brooks, Laszlo, Gina and Emma at Koaliga's |
Yes, I love my Alabama family and am happy to have the opportunity to visit them, but I also loved growing up in what is now derided as the granola state by many besides cousin Donald.
Furthermore, while Alabama still has lots of points in its favor, I understand why my children have ended up where they now happily live for their own reasons. What a wonderful country we call home, with so many amazing choices.
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| Aunt Ann, Steve, Angie, Julie, Emma, Gina, Laszlo, Brooks and Wes |
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| Gina at Chewacla Park Waterfall |
A few photos of family I snatched from social media
(Apologies to those whose photos I didn't find)
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| Angie's son Zach Gibbons and fiancée Tyler Ingram |
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| Angie's son Jonathan Gibbons |
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| Donald's son Michael Strickland (no family photos that I could find) |
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| Cousin Donald with daughter Michelle a few years ago |
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| Donald's daughter Michelle Strickland Collier and children |
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| Ronald's daughter Denise Strickland |
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| Cousin Reba with daughters Jenny O'Neal and Melissa Grier |
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