When God made people He did a marvelous thing! Oh sure, I know he gets upset with us at times, considering some of the things we do. But all in all I think He is proud of His accomplishments with us, the human race. All locations have some great people who are your next door neighbors, a friend at school or at the workplace, the clerk across the counter at your local store or the person sitting next to you in church.
Linda and I have found Crosby is full of them. I want to mention four of them now in no particular order.
Jim and Georgia Hayes, Newport residents, are two of the first we met and they have become close friends these past three plus years. They are close to the SpringerÕs age bracket and have become a second family to our son, Dave, who resides a couple of doors away. The HayesÕ have been more than helpful in Òshowing us the ropesÓ in the neighborhood and in the area. They have had us in their fine home on some occasions and are the first ones we call when Dave is in need and we are sitting over 1,200 miles away.
GeorgiaÕs hometown is Frisco, Tex. A year or so ago I did a column for the two West Virginia papers that print my column weekly, concerning a book that had been written by a Houston newspaper reporter about Frisco and environs. Give them a big ÒhowdyÓ the next time you catch them away from the golf course. We look forward to seeing their bright and shining faces whenever we land in Newport.
Steven Jackson is a fine man. We know him only as one who breaks bread with us frequently at the local MacDonalds. Like the two of us, Steven is retired and has time to sit back and smell the roses and spend time with his fellow men. We happen to be two of them. Steven lives on Barrett Road and is retired from the Solid Waste Dept. in Baytown.
When we first saw Steven he was seated in a chair just inside the South door of MacDonalds breaking out with a big smile and a Ògood morningÓ to those who pass his table. He is at the same table so often I have asked a couple of times if he pays rent for that seat and table? His smile is contagious and if you walk in feeling a bit down a few minutes with Steven and you are at your peak. We have chosen to sit at the next table a few times just to be exposed to his tales of the area.
The last for this column is one Joan Pyle whom we found early in the game is a former West Virginian who has resided in Crosby for a number of years. The first column I wrote for the Star-Courier contained my e-mail address and she was the first person to send me a note saying she had read it. I hope there are more of you out there who are reading these few words.
We met Joan a day or two after arriving in Crosby. We happened to attend church that Sunday at the Crosby Methodist Church and she talked with us for a few minutes after church. That afternoon she was the first to visit in DaveÕs new home and we spent an hour or two talking about Crosby and, of course, how things were going back in the Mountain State. She may be a Texan now but she is Mountaineer Proud.
I may tell you of a few more Crosby area friends later.
Such are the people, places and things that have touched my life in my West Virginia home!
