Random Memories of Clanton

RANDOM MEMORIES OF CLANTON WHEN I WAS A KID
1. Breakfast in the Mill Village at MawMaws with biscuits and all the normal stuff. MawMaw always put cheese in her coffee. I finally decided it didn’t have anything to do with the coffee, she just liked her cheese melted.
2. If we came to Clanton during the summer, the Mill always had a big picnic in the park with watermelon and washtubs full of Coke on ice. Everyone in the neighborhood showed up.
3. Christmas at Mammo’s with us kids upstairs in Carolyn’s old room. I SWEAR I heard Santa Claus downstairs at the tree but we couldn’t get close enough to really see. We were really afraid we would be seen.
4. Coming in for Christmas from Maplesville and seeing WKLF and knowing we were almost there.
5. Hearing Grandad Tucker tell stories about the awful things that were at the end of the street behind the kudzu in the CC camp. I was grown before I ever questioned that it could be true.
6. Waiting for PawPaw to get off at 10pm at the mill. We would wait on the old metal benches with the shelter over them right at the gate. There was a concession stand there and PawPaw would buy us a Dr. Pepper.
7. Seemed like every time we came home PawPaw had a new car. I particularly remember an old Pontiac he was really proud of. I never could believe he could get that thing in that little garage he had behind the house.
8. Playing upstairs at the News. Getting the “confetti” from around the perforator.
9. Watching the folder at the press downstairs. Fascinating.
10. Using the phone and actually talking to the operator and saying “23j please” to get Grandad on the phone at his office.
11. Going bowling in Clanton. 4 lanes? 6 lanes? It closed soon after the mill did.
12. Grocery shopping at “Pig’s” in west end. Way before he became Piggly Wiggly downtown. Everything went on a ticket and got paid payday. I couldn’t believe there was actually someone they called “Pig” to his face.
13. Going to a football game with Aunt Carolyn at the high school. The high school was Adair! The football field was that little place at the end of the property!
14. Meeting Donny Martin when he was a teenager. He got to ride around with the police in town. I’ll bet back then there weren’t but 3 or 4 police in Clanton and he was probably kin to most of them.
15. The city pool was a cool place to go. They had lockers in the shower and everything.