This weekend as we hear so many negative things and so much bloviation from both ends of the political spectrum I had a momentary flash that made me realize how true Yakov Smirnoff's punch line is when used to describe our nation.
I drove up this morning to make sure some of my Southern Arkansas relatives had "stayed put" and are still buried where they are supposed to be buried. (Came across some contradictory information online this week.) They were in place, hadn't moved on me, so I headed back home.
I guess several things were fresh in my mind, lots of basketball all over the television. The thoughts of lost potential sparked by the death of Raymond Tate. But for whatever reason as I was headed south on Highway 167, I came through the Lillie community and my mind flashed to Madison Square Garden and the 7th game of the 1970 NBA Championships. That amazing moment when Lillie's own Willis Reed limped onto the floor to start that game and how his appearance stunned that famed arena in the heart of our nation's largest city. He became the focus of so much media attention as his mere presence seemed to spark the Knicks to victory over the Lakers. My, what a long way to come for a black child reared in a tiny North Louisiana community during the heart of segregation all the way to the center of the spotlight in New York City.
Where else but the United States can someone based on their talent, intelligence or just plain hard work rise from Lillie to Madison Square Garden?
What a country!!!
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John, I couldn't agree with you more. What a country! Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteBro. Leland
I had forgotten he was from Lillie. I drive through there almost everyday, but of course Bernice adopted him. And just down the road at my Alma Mater, Karl Malone, Demetrius Bell and Cheryl Ford went to school and played ball. Demetrius Bell is an interesting story though. I got to coach him one summer on my sons baseball team. Though he never played, he picked up the game good. But he was a very good basketball player, got a scholarship at NSU and though he never played any organized football, Summerfield doesn't have football, he was a walk on at NSU. Now he is a starting Offensive Tackle for Buffalo Bills.
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