Sand in My Shoes ( A Contemporary Odyssey)
by
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Chapter 1
History will most certainly mark June 7, 1957, as the beginning of a marvelous odyssey. Graduation exercises had just concluded with a stately march from the gym as Billy Ray and J. T. (inseparable pals since first grade) quickly ripped away their gowns in preparation for a quick exit. Lots of hugs, a few brief tears, and hurried goodbyes were all factored into the hasty once-in-a-lifetime sequence of events that placed these young men in their car and heading for the beach.
The car, a 1955 Chevrolet convertible (charcoal gray and pink), was fully loaded with gas, duffel bags full of essentials in the trunk, and a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon on ice in the backseat cooler. Scarcely thirty minutes after the school principal had uttered that "I now pronounce you graduates of..." pontification, William Raymond Odom and James Travis Wilde were driving south on Highway 52. Only briefly, if at all, did they consider the implications of a silhouetted Pilot Mountain in the rear-view mirror.
The convertible top was down and the night wind whipped past as they proceeded toward their destination. Tips of the Dutch Masters cigars glowed a bright orange as both J. T. and Billy Ray took their first drags with only minor coughing and gagging.
A familiar "shsssss" sounded as J. T. forced the church key into the tops of the first two Blues. "Here you go," he said while handing one to Billy Ray, who was already practicing driving with his knees in anticipation of having a cigar in one hand and a beer in the other. The car radio was tuned to WAIR in Winston-Salem and receiving "You Send Me" loud and clear.
Billy Ray turned to his friend and spoke over the wind and Sam Cooke, "J. T., my man, we are about to begin a great new adventure! We are no longer Granite Grizzlies."
"That is a fact! I wonder who is more relieved, Mr. Ledbetter ... or your parents?"
"We are no longer high school twerps. We are no longer little mama’s boys. We are free men! We are in complete control and the rest of the world is shaking in their boots. Nothing can stop us now!" he predicted while absorbing an emotional high which was at the same time frightening and totally exhilarating.
Directions to Myrtle Beach when driving from the central Piedmont region of North Carolina through the upstate regions of South Carolina are generically simple: "go southeast and follow the signs." Most any itinerary fitting that description will eventually be successful, including a Charlotte - Monroe - Pageland - Cheraw - Bennettsville - Dillon - Marion - Conway - to the Grand Strand route. Beginner’s luck, or the grace of God, enabled Billy Ray and J. T. to successfully navigate that course on graduation night.
It was great to be alive!
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About the Book
The odyssey began on June 7, 1957. It was graduation night across North Carolina. Four young people, from different parts of the state, would complete their high school experience and then immediately seek out the path of least resistance leading to Myrtle Beach. How could they have known what lay in store for them along the fabled Grand Strand? Their circuitous paths would cross at different times and under a variety of circumstances. By the end of their week at the beach, they would become friends for life. The human equation would be incomplete, however, without that other young man who was gifted with a pair of feet that complemented his social agility. He would be revered as the best Shagger in the world. He would come to know all there was to know about J. T. Wilde, Billy Ray Odom, Olivia Maulden, and Cindy Ann Adams. They would know him only as Mr. Beach.
About the Author
Gwyn Bard, Jim Gambill, and Lu Hagel grew up in North Carolina. They all attended that state’s public schools and all graduated from its university system. While their professional and personal lives are different, the authors, their families, and their good friends all share a bonding interest in the genre of music and experiences associated with getting sand in one’s shoes.