After we’d lived here a few years, Holly and I were invited, along with several other folks, to Clarke and Judy Reed’s house on Bayou Road for an annual Easter brunch.
I misunderstood the invitation and we arrived about a half hour early.
Julia Reed met us at the door with a smile and said, “You’re a bit early.”
We offered to leave and come back at the appropriate time, but she was having none of it.
She brought us in, made us a Bloody Mary, and started telling stories.
We were the only two people there with her — Frank had barely got the bar ready — and she went out of her way to make us feel welcome when she probably should have told us to come back at the right time.
As the rest of the guests arrived, we made our way to the back of the crowd to be as inconspicuous as possible.
After the party, and owing to my job at the paper, Clarke would often call to pick a bone with me about an editorial or column I’d written.
He was especially keen on the federal courthouse not being placed at its current location.
He once said Dave Clarke and I were the only two people in the world who wanted it to go there.
Clarke was afraid losing the Stein Mart square to the courthouse would put a stain on the legacy of the Delta Hot Tamale Festival Julia had become so involved in.
He was right to be fearful of losing such a boon to our town, but luckily for all of us, his fears were misplaced.
We differed on other items as well.
Clarke said the old E.E. Bass building should not have been saved and the efforts of Delta Center Stage and The Greenville Arts Council to maintain the building could be better used in other areas.
While differing with both organizations’ approaches to the building, he was generous in his sponsorship of both programs.
This was, in my mind, what made Clarke the man he was.
He differed with lots of folks and kept them close to him.
He came from the most conservative form of politics, but one of his best friends, Hodding Carter III, ran the most liberal newspaper in the South, here at the DD-T.
He didn’t like what I wrote about the courthouse, but he always ended our phone calls with an upbeat and positive message for me and what we tried to do with the paper.
You could often barely understand the words coming out of his mouth, but you knew the words were worth hearing and understanding.
He is one of the people whom you felt like knowing them meant something.
I enjoyed the lunches at his table at Jim’s Café and listening to the stories he told there.
He had surely lived one hell of a life.
•••
This weekend marked the official kick-off of the holiday season with the Greenville Christmas Parade and Christmas on Deer Creek in Leland.
The chill north wind was blowing the morning of the parade but it warmed up quickly which is welcome when you are driving a 95-year-old convertible pickup truck.
The streets were packed and the high school bands were impressive.
The Oakes family is to be commended for their continued support and sponsorship of the parade. These gatherings in our downtown are central to our life together.
This was also the first year I have been able to make it to Christmas on Deer Creek and it is impressive.
Sherry Smythe and her team have done a magnificent job of turning the entire town of Leland into a Christmas wonderland.
The streets were packed, the parade was awesome and a good time was had by all.
Jon Alverson is proud to be publisher and editor of the Delta Democrat-Times. Write to him at jalverson@ddtonline.com or call him at 662-335-1155.
