Road Trip: Going To Another Town’s Dollar Store

Another road trip we made when I was younger was across North Georgia’s Fort Mountain to the town of Dalton. Like the trip I described in an earlier post, we usually made this trek on a Sunday afternoon with my aunt and uncle.

This trip took over an hour to get to our destination. We usually drove down Highway 5 into Ellijay then turned onto Highway 76 at the Dairy Queen then drove into Chatsworth then on in to Dalton. Other times, we might travel down Boardtown Road into East Ellijay then drive the mountainous route into Chatsworth on Highway 2. Either way was okay with me. This trip would become, many years later, a well-worn path for me when I lived for a time in Dalton.

It was always interesting to revisit these places you knew by sight. You could see a new store being built or someone adding on to their house. In the fall, you could check out the leaves on the mountain and gauge their colors. My uncle was often interested in pointing out where local racing legend Jody Ridley lived. I guess he rooted some for Ridley now and then even though Ridley usually drove a Ford and my uncle, who worked for a Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge dealership, usually cheered for the Mopar racers.

Our destination on these trips was the town of Dalton. Dalton was one of the larger towns in North Georgia. It sat near Interstate 75 a good forty-five minute drive south of Chattanooga and about an hour and a half north of Atlanta. Because of it’s proximity to a major transportation thoroughfare, Dalton became an important player in manufacturing carpet. For years, Dalton proudly proclaimed itself as “the carpet capital of the world”. It is still a very important part of the economy there and the flooring industry worldwide.

For those of us from a smaller town, Dalton was like an older brother. It was just big enough to be a bit complicated finding where you needed to go but still small enough to eventually find your destination. It hadn’t outgrown you yet. You felt a bit out-of-your-depth going there but once you were you needed to be it was just like a bigger extension of back home.

While we may have visited several places while in Dalton, I vividly recall one place we seemed to gravitate to each time went there. As un-exotic as it sounds that place was the Family Dollar Store.

Seemingly, every small town, or wide spot in the road, has some type of dollar store today. Back then though, our hometown had yet to secure either a Dollar General Store or Family Dollar Store. Making that trip the 60 or so miles over the mountain opened us up to all the dollar store had to offer.

At that age I located the toy aisle. That was really all I needed to see when there. I am sure I was made to go through the aisles as my parents and my aunt and uncle looked over what they wished to view. I probably already had spied something I wished my parents would buy for me. If I felt they wouldn’t purchase what I wanted I just knew my aunt and uncle would probably come through for me.

As time moved on, those trips to Dalton stopped. Soon enough, our little town had both a Family Dollar Store and a Dollar General Store. I suppose also priorities changed some and the time a trip to Dalton could take could be better used by those who made that trip.

In the early-1990s, I moved to Dalton for three years. I enjoyed living there. I had a job that kept the bills paid. I had a nice quiet apartment about a mile away from Interstate 75. Many times while I lived there I traveled back to my hometown to be with family. Several times when returning from my hometown to my home in Dalton, I varied my route turning onto Morris Street. This way took me by that dollar store from my youth. Every time I drove by there I could not help but smile at the memories of the trips we had made in the past.

That store still stands there today. When I lived there, I don’t remember ever patronizing it although I may have once or twice. It would be hard for them to have anything to sell me that could match the value of the memories I have of visiting there on long ago Sundays with my family. 

Road Trip: Going To Another Town's Dollar Store playlist

JJ Cale "Head's In Georgia" 
Elvin Bishop "Fooled Around and Fell In Love" 
Trisha Yearwood "Georgia Rain" 
Climax Blues Band "Couldn't Get It Right" 
Citizen King "Better Days" 
Blackberry Smoke "The Good Life"
John Anderson "Red Georgia Clay" 
Paul Davis "Ride 'Em Cowboy" 
Elton John "Georgia" 
The Black Crowes "Seeing Things" 
Ray Charles "I Was On Georgia Time" 
Drivin' N' Cryin' "Fly Me Courageous"
 

Eyes Open

“Will you close your eyes?” is a question our daughter asks that usually precedes something she just knows will surprise us. Frankly with as much of life behind us now there isn’t too much she can pull off that comes as a true surprise. Still, she can be persistent for her age. And, for at least me, at my age, I’m usually not too combative about playing along.

That doesn’t mean though that I always like being asked to close my eyes so I can wait for Hannah to reveal she has drawn a heart on her hand in permanent marker. Sometimes her request just comes at a bad time. Perhaps, we need to be getting ready to go somewhere and time is speedily ticking away from us. Sometimes, her request is to put off something she needs to do such as homework or chores. Other times, the request comes at a time when I am frustrated by some of the things just listed or other things. When I am at this place, the request for me to close my eyes usually leads me to sigh deeply or reply in a deadpan manner with a question of my own, “really?”

Most of us understand this dynamic. As a parent there is this push-and-pull between responsibility and the notion that not everything should be taken so seriously. I don’t know where to locate that balance. I step around lightly hoping I can find some sure footing but I usually end up just taking a deep breath and moving forward in faith.

Recently, I promised Hannah we would take some time outside with sidewalk chalk. On a late, warm afternoon we went outside to use the chalk on our driveway. Eager to show off her artistic ability, and probably at some deeper level hoping to make me happy, she said she was going to work on one drawing by herself. As she began working, I was told to close my eyes. And, of course, I sighed before offering a protest. I knew the artwork would take several minutes. I feared closing my eyes might make me even more sleepy. I also just didn’t like the idea of standing in my driveway with my eyes closed while the neighbors peered out of nearby windows or drove up and down the street. I told her I would just look another way until she told me I could look. Of course, I knew this way out provided me a chance to whittle the time away with some time-wasting activity such as looking at my phone.

As I waited I thought how silly it was to argue against closing my eyes. Why can’t she understand I could do something more useful than just close my eyes. As I thought more I realized any time I gained by keeping my eyes open would probably be wasted on checking email or Facebook and not solving the problems of the world. When that dawned on me, I closed my eyes.

Soon enough, I heard her familiar voice asking me to look at her creative masterpiece. I stood there admiring her talent. I then came to realize how I should close my eyes more often when she asks because on this day, when I closed my eyes I found myself thanking God for our daughter and the things she brings into life, like wonder, love, laughter and other good things that are needed along life's way. That lesson seemed to be much more important than thinking my time is more useful in any other way. I guess sometimes you have to close your eyes so that they can really be opened.

13 Observations After 50 Days of Quarantine

On the day this post will appear, I will have been part of the stay-at-home quarantine surrounding the COVID-19 virus right at fifty days. It started for me on Friday, March 13. From December until March, we had a major renovation at our house. This renovation closed off part of our house during this time. To say that we looked forward to the day when the work was over so we could enjoy our house would be an understatement. By Friday, March 13, much of the work was over with only a few small items to be completed. I planned to take that day off from my job so I could get a few things at the house in order.

At work though, we were in a rush to prepare things so that we could work from home in case the virus spread enough to force closing our physical office. By that Friday, I also learned Hannah’s school, fearing the virus, had already determined to close their campus then provide lessons online beginning the following week. So, on the day I intended to do a few things around the house, I found myself setting up my portable work office then prepped a portable school space for Hannah. While my work colleagues had to report to our physical office the following week, I began working from home that weekend.

After picking Hannah up from school on the afternoon of the 13th, I can probably count on both hands the number of times I have left our house. Jennifer’s job requires her to continue to report to her office so, most days, it’s been me and Hannah holding down the fort. I am grateful Hannah’s cousin has been able to help Hannah with some of her school days so far.

Honestly, I am a homebody. I have never had any major desire to do any serious traveling. Knowing I was about to be at home for an undetermined time I just knew things would be all right. Still, a month and a half into this situation, with no exact end in sight, I would like to share a few things I have observed during this unusual time.

 

~Shoes may be necessary for some walks of life but, y’all, I haven’t missed them at all.

~By the time restrictions are eased enough that I return to my work office, I hope my already-dated wardrobe has had a chance to come back in style.

~I never considered a day would come in the good ol’ U.S.A when toilet paper would be so valued.

~Fighting through morning and afternoon traffic is stressful. I don’t miss it but stress is still there. It has been replaced by trying to help Hannah complete a homework assignment for her school in between video conference meetings for work.

~I worked in local television years ago. I know full well how on-camera personalities often wore a nice blouse or suit and tie but underneath the newsdesk wore a ragged pair of tennis shorts. Knowing that during these video conferences I try not to think what others may be wearing below their neckline and hope they don’t consider what I may be wearing. In this situation, I am proud to say I don’t own a pair of tennis shorts.

~I appreciate freedom more. In normal circumstances staying at home all day but not going anywhere would not bother me. Now, staying at home all the time but knowing I should not go anywhere brings home the importance of freedom in everyday life. I hope others feel this way, too, but I have grown very concerned how some seem willing to trade freedom for perceived security.

~This is the best gas mileage I’ve ever gotten from a tank of gas in my whole life. Of course, my old, weak car battery gave out, so any savings from buying gas was gobbled up when I had to purchase a new battery.

~Hannah can be an eating machine. I never thought someone so petite could eat more than me during a day.

~That said, I am convinced more than ever after participating in video conference after video conference how the camera adds at least fifty pounds to my video image. Now, excuse me, the microwave just let me know my pimento cheese and buffalo chicken sandwich is ready.

~I miss seeing family. This includes my wife’s family who lives very close to us. I miss my blood family, too, as they are at a true distance. Just knowing traveling to see them is frowned on makes that absence more pronounced and makes the distance seem greater than what it is.

~I never thought I would ever give such consideration to washing my hands. We have been told to count to twenty with hands under warm, soapy water. Early on, I kept singing that line from the Beatles song "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," you know "Hands across the water, heads across the sky..." but I was having to sing it a dozen times just to last twenty seconds. I then moved on to the “Happy Birthday Song” but I grew tired of that since no cake was involved. “Jesus Loves Me” also made the song list. Meantime, I mostly just count while I wash my hands. I have counted to twenty. I have counted backward from twenty. I have counted to five four times. I have counted to ten then counted backward from ten. The last time I washed my hands I counted to forty by twos.

~Many of the things I planned to work on around the house on March 13 remain to be done. It is amazing how being in the same place all the time can sometimes freeze things in place.

~I miss the sweet chaos of how life was before all this came about. I’m glad though I am living through this new chaos with my wife and daughter.

Of course, there are other things I have observed during these past fifty days, much of it very disheartening. This situation is very serious and even though this post has hopefully been lighthearted not a day goes by where I am, in some way, sobered by the harsh realities of this devil sickness. I am dismayed how many now find themselves struggling financially because of sudden job loss. I don’t even want to mention how much of the media and many politicians have behaved and performed through all this. Much of all that has happened can deflate one’s spirit if it is dwelt on too long.

I have also observed how courageous many people are, especially those who brave the front lines in various medical fields. I have seen the ingenuity of good people who have made masks for others so that as many people as possible can protect themselves from this virus. I have seen teachers transform their classrooms into a form of virtual reality then trust parents with an underappreciated task. I have seen others do their jobs knowing they are in danger while also understanding the service they are providing. I have talked to my neighbors more, at a six-foot distance, of course. I have taken a short break from my workday, stepped on our deck, soaked in some sunshine and listened to the birds sing a springtime song.

As I write this, some of the things that have been closed are slowly returning to everyday life. It is still too early though to know when we can truly claim a win over this virus. That just means, tomorrow, God willing, we get up, we take a deep breath then we go about this new routine again as we pray for better days.

Stay well, I want us all to enjoy those better days.