Coming Soon: Forks in the Road
James Edward Alexander
This is volume II of memories of a wonderful life. In volume I, Half Way Home From Kinderlou, published in (2008), I shared some pleasant memories before my teen years in Valdosta, Georgia.
Teen ages are that interlude between childhood and adulthood; a period of simultaneous rapid growth and decline, when there is so much more to learn, while forgetting the habits of kindergarten. Teen ages are the days when parents and the community subject youthful behavior to closer scrutiny, looking for confirmation of what should have been learned after they excused childish missteps as innocent or “cute.”
In that period of youthful sunshine I spent much of my excess energy as the high school quarterback, playing semi-pro baseball and learning why my body suddenly felt different in the presence of girls. As I approached graduation from high school I also realized that my future was beyond the socioeconomic boundary of Valdosta.
On my 17th birthday, June 21, 1951, I awoke in a racially segregated neighborhood. Before sunset I took a fork in the road that led into a community of different races, colors, ethnicities, and religions, where I was expected to instantaneously deport myself by a set of alien guidelines formulated by persons whose lifestyles and experiences differed from mine. There were no preparatory sessions for the physical, psychological, emotional or social transition, though all signs and symbols translated into a clear message: henceforth, my life would be significantly altered and measured by the new standards. At times the lessons were painful and pleasant; degrading and uplifting; humorous and sad, frightening and courageous; defeating and rewarding; daring and cautious, but always exciting.
Teen ages are that interlude between childhood and adulthood; a period of simultaneous rapid growth and decline, when there is so much more to learn, while forgetting the habits of kindergarten. Teen ages are the days when parents and the community subject youthful behavior to closer scrutiny, looking for confirmation of what should have been learned after they excused childish missteps as innocent or “cute.”
In that period of youthful sunshine I spent much of my excess energy as the high school quarterback, playing semi-pro baseball and learning why my body suddenly felt different in the presence of girls. As I approached graduation from high school I also realized that my future was beyond the socioeconomic boundary of Valdosta.
On my 17th birthday, June 21, 1951, I awoke in a racially segregated neighborhood. Before sunset I took a fork in the road that led into a community of different races, colors, ethnicities, and religions, where I was expected to instantaneously deport myself by a set of alien guidelines formulated by persons whose lifestyles and experiences differed from mine. There were no preparatory sessions for the physical, psychological, emotional or social transition, though all signs and symbols translated into a clear message: henceforth, my life would be significantly altered and measured by the new standards. At times the lessons were painful and pleasant; degrading and uplifting; humorous and sad, frightening and courageous; defeating and rewarding; daring and cautious, but always exciting.
If I should Die Before I wake... What Happens to My Stuff?
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This booklet provides checklists for collecting and maintaining information to help you live a better life, while preparing for a peaceful death.
James Edward Alexander, Esq