On A Midnight Chevette to Georgia

As February rapidly approaches, it always seems to get me thinking about my life in Georgia. This February will be forty years since I left northeast Ohio for Atlanta, Georgia to seek my fame and fortune with my newly minted college degrees in hand and with my cutie pie. If you have a few minutes I would love to tell you our story. Sound good?

My story actually begins several years before February of 1984. In fact, it started back in my last few years of high school. I had a teacher for accounting named John Durham (“Mr. Durham” or “Coach”) for my junior and senior years. I had an interest in accounting and thought I might pursue that in college, so I was giving it a trial run. Mr. Durham was also the golf coach for Ellet High School, and he was a fan of the football team which I was a member of back then.

Coach was originally from Georgia and had a southern drawl when he spoke. Everyone thought it was different and funny the way he talked but for whatever reason Coach took an interest in me and seemed to spend a lot of time with me during class. One day he came to me and asked “Mawwrrk, what are you planning on doing once you graduate?” I told him that I was planning on going to college to study business, specifically accounting or finance and then as soon as possible I was heading for Florida. I was tired of the winters in Ohio, and I had heard recently that it was a law in Ohio that every Ohio resident had to spend at least a portion of your life in Florida, so I was willing to do my part as a law-abiding citizen of the great state of Ohio. He grinned and moved his chair closer and asked, “can I tell you something valuable?” “Absolutely Coach, what is it?” He told me that Georgia was the place to go, NOT Florida. Atlanta was booming and said that for what I wanted to do, that was where I should head. “No disrespect Coach, but isn’t Georgia what you drive through to get to Florida?” I had never considered Georgia for a second. Of course, I was only basing my decision on a few trips our family went on to Daytona Beach where my uncle lived, But still…..Georgia?….Seriously? He told me to think about it and not to reject it out of hand so quickly. Politely I assured him I would consider it but to be honest, I didn’t think about it at all until several years later.

So, I graduate from Ellet in 1978 with pretty good grades but not Ivy League worthy for sure. No one in my family had ever graduated from college and had not even attended for more than a semester or two prior to me trying to get someone to take me in and give me some “book learning”. I sat around with my buddies (which many were in a similar position) and in about 30 minutes we decided to go to the University of Akron. It pretty much went something like this: “Hey, are you guys going to go to college?”, “Yes”, “Where are you going to go?”, “Akron”, “What are going to study?”, “Business and Finance”, “Sounds good, I’m in.” That was the level of my in-depth study and research about my future.

I informed my parents about my decision and they thought it was a GREAT idea and were real proud of their sweet little want-a-be business tycoon. I’m thinking to myself, “that was easy!” I push on, “How much have you guys saved for my college?” “Um, that would be $0 dollars son.” We are behind all the way big fella, let us know how we can be of help. Now I know why the first part was so easy.

Well, I went and got a couple jobs and started working my way through school and in five years I had put in the work to graduate with degrees in Industrial Management and Computer Science and was at another crossroad trying to figure out what to do next, now that I was so smart and everything!

Michelle and I had been dating since the beginning of high school and we were also looking forward to moving our relationship to the next level. I had asked her dad and mom if I could marry her two years earlier and we were married in August of 1982. She helped support us and helped me pay tuition and I graduated in 1982 and 1983. Her family had moved to Florida a few years earlier (fulfilling their Ohio duty) and Michelle had been living with roommates in Ellet and I was living at home with my parents who allowed me to stay at home which helped a lot in being able to get through school with no debt. I moved in with her at her duplex once we were married.

I looked for a job for six months after I had graduated. I had no idea of how to do that which didn’t help since the job market was in terrible shape as most of the tire factories had started to close and move south. I was getting very disappointed and desperate. It was dubious to me as to why so many people were passing on their opportunity to secure the employment of the Rutmachine. I kept all of my rejection letters and I still have them today. Over 300 of the finest businesses in the world said no to yours truly. How could they be so dumb and still run those big corporations?

Michelle was so supporting and encouraging and every once in a while, would suggest we start looking south for work. She believed in me which was the only thing that kept me going some days. I know she missed her parents but I really wanted to make it in Akron but it was not looking good. My last big hope was a potential job at Goodyear Aerospace. I knew some of the people that were hiring so I thought I had an “in”. I prepared for my interview like I was preparing for the bar exam. I knew everything that Aerospace was involved with, and I was loaded for bear with information. The interviewers seemed to like me and commented that I was quite prepared and would “let me know”. Uh oh. I’ve heard that one before. I followed up with the people I knew and they said it was down to me and one other person. It wasn’t me. I was pretty torn up and decided it was time to start looking south.

This was also back when OPEC had started raising the price of gas to over a $1.00 per gallon (THE HORROR!). To try and offset that we sold our gas guzzlers and bought our first family car, a Chevrolet Chevette. If you look up “piece of crap” (POC) in the dictionary, a picture of our car would be right there! Goodnite!

Ah, but soon, I would be headed to Georgia (que Gladys Knight) on a midnight Chevette to Georgia!!

But First…A Joke:

Jesus and Moses are playing golf, and they’re on the tenth hole. Moses hits the ball, and it heads straight for a pond. Just before the ball hits the water, the water parts and the ball rolls up onto the green.

Jesus tees up and hits one almost in the exact spot. Jesus’ ball hits the water and skips across.

All of a sudden, lightning flashes, and a ball drops from the sky. A fish swallows it, a bird picks up the fish, and the ball drops onto a turtle, which walks over to the hole and drops it in.

Moses turns to Jesus and says, “I hate it when your dad plays!”

Bonus Dad Joke:

I just watched a documentary about how boats are held together. It was riveting!

A Verse to Contemplate:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore, I will wait for him.” - Lamentations 3: 22-24

Have I Told You This One?

This was before the Internet, so research on companies was done the old fashion way, at the library. Akron did have a job placement office and I worked with them and sent hundreds of cold resumes to Florida and some to North and South Carolina. As I was doing this, my brain kicked back to my conversations with Coach Durham, “Mawwrrk, Georgia is the place to go!” Trying to be true to my word, I looked into Atlanta, and I was knocked over with the number of big companies there were to consider. I sent probably 100 more resumes to Atlanta and that’s when I knew Coach was on to something. In less than a week I had received a dozen responses wanting to talk to me. I had noted on my cover letter that I would be down in Atlanta visiting family and friends in a few weeks and would love to speak with them while I was in the area. Whatever works right?! I knew no one in Georgia but I scheduled a dozen interviews and headed to Georgia. I had a buddy who worked for Holiday Inn at the time and he got me a room for cheap in Marietta. I kissed my bride and off I went.

Being a somewhat typical twenty-something, I decided to play basketball with some guys at church the evening before I was supposed to be in Atlanta for interviews. I thought, I can play ball and then drive all night and be there in plenty of time. So, I played hoops got into my POC and hit the road for the 600-mile overnight drive. About halfway there I started having trouble staying awake but pressed on until I realized I did a headbob which woke me up (while moving). I freaked and pulled into a rest area to take a quick power nap. As soon as I got comfortable a state trooper knocked on my window and sent me on my way. I drove all night and got there with an hour to spare. I got my room, took a shower, put my suit on and headed for my first interview (which ended up being my first job!).

For the next two days, I went on interviews and felt that some of them went very well. I really liked the first company, American Appraisal Associates and hoped they would give me an offer. I had one more interview in Mobile, Alabama which was close to my in-laws in Pensacola, Florida. I started making a number of calls to my contact from American Appraisal and bugged them to death until they hired me over the phone. I called Michelle and told her to start packing and headed home in the POC. I could finally start making some money and leading my family.

I wanted the job so bad, that I told them I could start the following Monday. I had to get home, get packed and get back down to Atlanta. Me and the POC got to know each other very well over the next few days. I got a roof carrier from U-Haul and put it on my POC, loaded up my clothes, TV, cooler, yard chair and records and headed to my new home.

I had been so busy and focused that I didn’t really take any time to think about the fact that I was moving out for good. I had never been too many places in my life and never anywhere as big as Atlanta which had about 1.5 million people at the time (now it is closer to 8 million). As I was getting ready to go from the duplex and knew I had to go say goodbye to my parents and sister. I always thought I was going to be in Akron for my whole life. I never lived on my own until I was married. The reality was setting in and it was a bit daunting. I headed over to Stevenson Avenue and sat with my mom for a bit. Dad was at work so I couldn’t say goodbye to him that night. I gave my little sister a hug and left before I turned into a sloppy mess. It was time to put my big boy pants on.

As I was pulling out of the driveway, I slowly drove by the house to get a long look. As I looked back, I could see my sister holding the cat and waving at me through the windows in the door. My big boy pants were going to have to wait. I was a blubbering fool until I reached Cincinnati. Once I crossed the river and got into Kentucky, I put them big boy pants on for good. The number of emotions going through me was amazing, but I was so proud and excited to be REALLY on my own.

A few weeks later in the first part of February I flew Michelle down. There was a heavy snowstorm going on and she barely got out of Cleveland before they shut the airport down. When she got to Atlanta it was still 65 degrees. I drove her to our new home in Marietta, Georgia that she had never seen and I’m sure she had great concern over what I would pick out for us, but she trusted me, and I found a really nice place for our first home. The next day was Saturday, and we got the newspaper and spread it out on the floor of our apartment and started looking for jobs for her. She called a law firm and had a job that day!

We slept in sleeping bags in our unfurnished place. I needed a pair of pliers to change the channel on our TV, but I had plenty of records and my stereo, so we had enough. I apologized to her that I wasn’t able to afford furniture yet as we sat in lawn chairs next to the cooler in the living room. She then said the nicest thing she ever said to me in my life. She said, “I would sleep in the yard in a tent as long as we are together.”

My God, not bad for a tire builder’s kid from Akron.

We started work on February 27, 1984. It snowed! We were one of the few people to show up for work. Atlanta is not hip to snow. I think I’m going to be alright.

Coach, you were right buddy! Thank you for the advice, Georgia is awesome.

A Prayer:

Spirit of God, I am incapable of loving and honoring others on my own. Empower me to love and honor those who are difficult to respect in the same way You shower me with Your unmerited mercy, grace, and love.

Book Recommendation:

Moneyball by Michael Lewis (2003)

Music Recommendation:

The Way I See It - Raphael Saadiq (2008)