by luke angelo for the 11th hour, vol 2, issue 28
LIGHT HORS D’OEUVRES
and just
A TOUCH OF NOSTALGIA
I really would like to reprint here the responses of those who wrote in
and answered what was a purely rhetorical question, “How many grand juries does it
take to screw in a light bulb?”
Sorry your answers were so obscene that we cannot use them in a quasi family environment.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT: One of the frustrations of writing a bi-weekly column is that in
the fast-moving ebb and flow of Macon’s political scene anything penned a few days
prior to publication tends to be old and stale when finally in print. Deadlines are and
must be a fact of life.
To rectify this situation, and to offer the readers of THE ELEVENTH HOUR greater access to
more cutting edge political news laced with gut stabbing irony and satire, we have
enlisted the help of THE INTERNET and are now dedicating ourselves and our somewhat
sullied honor to fill in the gaps. All you gentle (and faithful, thank you) readers have
to do is to access http://www.gospelaccordingtoluke.com/gl/weblog.php which is now a
daily BLOG and read the current entry, found immediately after ‘Picture Of The
Day’. Scrolling down will take you backwards in time, day by day, until the last
syllable of recorded whatever.
Linking the Blog to this column, should provide extra dynamic and insight for readers as
the sorry saga of Macon’s financial and political woes unfold. You are welcome to add
your own $.02 to the Blog articles; no obscenity or slander, of course.
OB-SEEN: First Friday was an under-attended winner last week. Many stayed away due to
threatening weather. Our party began with a trek to the epicenter of Macon’s
burgeoning, downtown culture, Cotton Avenue, where our first stop took us into the brand,
spanking new offices of THE ELEVENTH HOUR, celebrating its second year as a thorn in the
ass of the local establishment. Amid a generous and well-chosen selection of wines and
light hors d’oeuvres editor and publisher Brad Evans held forth, convulsing the
crowds of well-wishers with colorful stories from the exciting world of newsprint. Among
the many celebrities on hand were City Council President ANITA PONDER, DEBORAH MOONEY,
MERRIE BACON, JESSICA WALDEN-GRINER, and entertainment guru BILL “WOODIE” WOODS.
Featured at this gathering was a wonderfully tasteful display of paintings by Macon’s
most talented young artist, Eric Wakefield. <<emphasis
added>>
MORE...
We bade adieu to 329 Cotton and walked the short distance to Lily’s
GOLDEN BOUGH BOOKSTORE. And voila, the first person we ran into was none other than ERIC
WAKEFIELD himself. The ‘Bough’ is always a lively spot, refined, refreshing ,
and gentile, a true oasis in the inner city. Friday was no exception with live music, book
signing, discussion, and plenty of browsers searching for that just-right spring addition
to Monsieur’s library or Milady’s coffee table. Amid an atmosphere of
spontaneous conviviality, light hors d’oeuvres, and intellectual stimuli, we noticed
that recent arrivals DEBORAH MOONEY and MERRIE BACON seemed to be everywhere, drinking in
the sparkling ambience of Middle Georgia’s premier book mart.
After a delightful time at Lily’s, my companions and I leisurely ambled down Cherry
Street, where we were drawn to a small crowd of upscale folks smoking outside the
headquarters of the Macon Arts’ Alliance. Once inside, and after helping ourselves to
the generously proffered wine, beer and not-so-light hors d’oeuvres, we admired the
work of two local, featured artists and took time to noticed that, except for ourselves,
nobody was perusing the displayed paintings and ceramics. Most stood in the middle of the
gallery, engaged in polite banter, consuming the plenteous potables. Among the uninvited
guests were DEBORAH MOONEY and MERRIE BACON. Sadly, neither ERIC WAKEFIELD nor any of his
exceptional works of art were anywhere to be seen. <<actually
i have 2 paintings there right now and should be showing in autumn 2006 along with brian
o'dell>>
Taking our leave, we walked across the street to Luigi’s. We found ourselves already
so sated with light hors d’oeuvres that we had no room left to sample the
bistro’s new menu. We left shortly after observing DEBORAH MOONEY and MERRIE BACON,
along with well-known, Libertarian political candidate in perpetuum DAVID CORR among the
early evening crowd enjoying the sights and sounds of lower Cherry.
And so back home.
UPCOMING EVENTS YOU CANNOT MISS: (1) Macon’s PAN AFRICAN FESTIVAL (April 22-30),
culminating with a day-long family celebration in Central City Park with an afternoon of
live music, dance, vendors, games, and activities for the kids (a free event); (2) THE
GAUDET BASEBALL CAMP (June 1st, with a rain date the next day). If your son or daughter or
grandchild loves baseball or softball, this is the place where he or she will enjoy a day
of shared experience which you can watch from the bleachers of venerable Luther Williams
field.
There is something special about our ancient ballpark. You walk around and get a feeling
for the way it used to be in the long gone, cradle of our national pastime: when we were
young and the world was new and the sport was played by giants, gods actually, who walked
amongst us mortals, bestowing their special grace, the full measure of their divine
essence, upon the fans of those eternal summers.
It’s the smells, mostly, fresh cut grass, locker rooms and sometimes clean urinals,
sweat, of course. Back then stadiums were not cut out like high-tech cookies nor named
after the highest corporate bidder. Nor were players consumed with ever-higher salaries
and getting an edge even if it means abusing steroids and mood altering drugs. Most
ballplayers had to find jobs in the off-season.
Sure, some of those players drank to damn much, used tobacco (a legal substance), and
chased skirt often in violation of winked-at training regulations. But they were heroes,
positive, role models, mentors-at-a-distance to countless millions of kids who became
better adults as a result.
Time moved slowly back in the days before there were cell phones and computers and even
the ubiquitous television set which link us all to the fast track of instant
communication, gratification and information on demand. Slowly is better. Slowly lets us
digest more comfortably the data which the everyday world hurls at us. Slowly means
new-mown grass, ancient urinals, and sweat.
Luther Williams is one of our nation’s two oldest relics from those earlier, times.
With all its rust and flaking paint, its battered outfield signs and worn metal stairs it
remains a shrine to something we once were, to things we once believed, to a mentality
that made ours the greatest nation on earth.
Oh! The other stadium? why Waconah Park in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (population 45,023),
where the minor leagues are still alive and well, and playing on fresh cut grass.
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page last modified 6/11/05