Moving On Up
I know y'all have had this to happen to you or maybe not, but for me when something really important or a tragedy happens I can remember exactly where I was or where I was standing. Well this is one of those cases.
I think this was late Fall 1976, Sammy was talking on the phone to a friend, who had only been in Florida maybe a month or so and had recently moved from Florence. They had worked together at WOWL and WQLT radio, he was a DJ too. Anyway this friend called and told him there was an opening at this radio station, WQYK in St. Petersburg Florida. He wanted to know if he was interested. I was standing in the doorway of our kitchen and Sammy turns around and says, "How'd you like to move to Florida." It kinda took me by surprise and I thought..... Florida!!!!! Gosh thats so far from home but I married him for better or worse, is this gonna be for the better or worse. ( I know its gonna be for the worse when mama Helen gets wind of this) We talked about it and decided to give it a shot. I guess he interviewed for the job over the phone, I really can't remember that part, I know he didn't go there for the interview. After talking to them and what caught our ear was..... Mo Money!!!
I remember a few days later Daddy and Mama came to Woolco a store where I worked, they wanted to do some early Christmas shopping. I was so excited to see them and couldn't wait to tell them the news. Oh they tried to act happy but I could see it on their faces. They didn't stay very long that day and I sorta put a damper on their Christmas shopping.
We went home that weekend to tell his family and the rest of mine about us moving. On the way back to our house, Sammy tells me that they (new bosses) want him to come up with another air name. Goodtimes Darwin wouldn't get it in country radio. So we are traveling on down the four lane trying to think of a name and I spot this bill board that says Walker hardware and toward the bottom it says something about rusty nails. I said, I got it. How about Rusty Walker. He said, it over and over a few times then said, I like it. Now to here him tell it and I've heard him say this: Whew, if we had been 5 more miles down the road my name would have been Quaker State.
We had saved up some money, gotten rid of our little green car and bought us (me) a brand new yellow 1976 Ford mustang, awwwww it was beautiful. My Mama and Mama Helen came to Florence to help me pack for the move. We had rented a u-haul truck and was gonna tow his little blue truck, so that left me with the new car. A few days before we got all packed up, I told Sammy I was a little nervous just thinking about driving all that way by myself. Y'all remember I thought Decatur Ala was a big city and we were going way past that. So before we rolled out of the drive way, he had me a little surprise. A set of walky talkys. Yep, I didn't think I'd like talking on that thing but it didn't take me long to warm up to it. Oh my goodness, I was so scared, just Samson, a walky talky and me. I gotta tell ya it was pretty sad leaving our house and looking back and seeing my Mama and Mama Helen waving Good-bye. There was more than one tear that fell from this ole girls eyes that day.
Dear Lord,
As I sit on our front porch and think of days past, I'm reminded that we all are gonna go through good times and bad times. The good times are what we cherish, the bad times we try not to dwell on but we are grateful you are their with us know matter what. You know Good-byes are always the hardest, until we meet again. Amen
I think this was late Fall 1976, Sammy was talking on the phone to a friend, who had only been in Florida maybe a month or so and had recently moved from Florence. They had worked together at WOWL and WQLT radio, he was a DJ too. Anyway this friend called and told him there was an opening at this radio station, WQYK in St. Petersburg Florida. He wanted to know if he was interested. I was standing in the doorway of our kitchen and Sammy turns around and says, "How'd you like to move to Florida." It kinda took me by surprise and I thought..... Florida!!!!! Gosh thats so far from home but I married him for better or worse, is this gonna be for the better or worse. ( I know its gonna be for the worse when mama Helen gets wind of this) We talked about it and decided to give it a shot. I guess he interviewed for the job over the phone, I really can't remember that part, I know he didn't go there for the interview. After talking to them and what caught our ear was..... Mo Money!!!
I remember a few days later Daddy and Mama came to Woolco a store where I worked, they wanted to do some early Christmas shopping. I was so excited to see them and couldn't wait to tell them the news. Oh they tried to act happy but I could see it on their faces. They didn't stay very long that day and I sorta put a damper on their Christmas shopping.
We went home that weekend to tell his family and the rest of mine about us moving. On the way back to our house, Sammy tells me that they (new bosses) want him to come up with another air name. Goodtimes Darwin wouldn't get it in country radio. So we are traveling on down the four lane trying to think of a name and I spot this bill board that says Walker hardware and toward the bottom it says something about rusty nails. I said, I got it. How about Rusty Walker. He said, it over and over a few times then said, I like it. Now to here him tell it and I've heard him say this: Whew, if we had been 5 more miles down the road my name would have been Quaker State.
We had saved up some money, gotten rid of our little green car and bought us (me) a brand new yellow 1976 Ford mustang, awwwww it was beautiful. My Mama and Mama Helen came to Florence to help me pack for the move. We had rented a u-haul truck and was gonna tow his little blue truck, so that left me with the new car. A few days before we got all packed up, I told Sammy I was a little nervous just thinking about driving all that way by myself. Y'all remember I thought Decatur Ala was a big city and we were going way past that. So before we rolled out of the drive way, he had me a little surprise. A set of walky talkys. Yep, I didn't think I'd like talking on that thing but it didn't take me long to warm up to it. Oh my goodness, I was so scared, just Samson, a walky talky and me. I gotta tell ya it was pretty sad leaving our house and looking back and seeing my Mama and Mama Helen waving Good-bye. There was more than one tear that fell from this ole girls eyes that day.
Dear Lord,
As I sit on our front porch and think of days past, I'm reminded that we all are gonna go through good times and bad times. The good times are what we cherish, the bad times we try not to dwell on but we are grateful you are their with us know matter what. You know Good-byes are always the hardest, until we meet again. Amen
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