Visit Mt. A
ir
timeless sta y, NC and see that
tue of And
y and Opie
.
We all know time really does march forward
and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
Anne Parker, Chef
336-923-8405
Time marches forward at a seemingly breakneck pace in
today’s fast-paced world. Occasionally there are moments
of grace that happen causing time to stand still in our mind's
eye. That kind of grace usually happens for just a fleeting
moment and, only when we have learned to recognize it,
can we receive its blessing. These moments could be: a
child's first word, or step, an engaging conversation with an
elderly person who has fascinating tales of ‘been there
done that’, running across an old friend and getting reacquainted, viewing photographs from days long gone of
loved ones who have passed on, or experiencing a cool
gentle breeze on a hot summer day with a cold glass of
lemonade on a lazy hazy Sunday afternoon. I'm now
thinking of those wonderful old Country Time lemonade
commercials. Bet you were too! I can lose track of time
riding my motorcycle for miles or reading a great book in
the course of an afternoon. Sharing a night out on the town
enjoying a good meal with family and friends, suddenly
glancing at your watch you ask yourself, “Gosh where did
the time go?” Perhaps during some well-earned “me” time
for relaxation, solitude and self-reflection many of us begin
to daydream, which I must insist is not always a total waste
of time. I prefer to think of these cerebral journeys as
"positive procrastination" that lead many people to a
myriad of opportunities both personally and
professionally.
We all know time really does march forward and there’s
nothing we can do to stop it. But I enjoy those moments of
grace when they appear and I would like to share one with
you. I was riding my motorcycle on a day trip, and while
coming through Mt Airy, NC, I decided to stop once again
to see that timeless statue of Andy and Opie, hand in hand
on their way to do some fishing. I became mesmerized
when I looked upon it and was reminded of the beautiful
simplicity and the purity of the story lines, of being
enamored by a unique cast of characters from that
captivating television show we all know and love that truly
is one of the pinnacles of Americana. Then it happened...I
got lost in my memories thinking back all those years ago
when my father took my cousin and I fishing countless
times when we were boys. I recalled all the fun and laughter
we experienced in our youth and all the stories we've told
years since. Our unhindered imaginations were captivated
by bonfires and the never-ending adventures of hiking the
river banks to our special fishing spots along the Yadkin
River in Forsyth County, NC. I smiled and chuckled to
myself and was jolted back to reality. I smiled again,
realizing I had just experienced one of those moments of
grace and that...TIME STOOD STILL.
by Bobby Kiger
[email protected]
09