Dancing Dave

Every town has someone unusually unique and eccentric. My hometown is no different. (Some of these "characters" are in my own family!)  Just recently, on a trip to South Alabama to visit my dad, Kade and I picked up Dancing Dave, an American original and a bona fide "character." Dancing Dave's Wiregrass history goes way back - way back to the time of my great-grandfather, in the 1920s. Dancing Dave gets "lifts" from drivers who take him back and forth from Slocomb to Headland and Headland to Dothan - basically, anywhere he wants to go.  And, if you have the privilege of giving him a lift somewhere, chances are you're going to learn something about this section of Alabama. When we picked him up this trip, well, I simply asked Kade (with Dave's permission) to keep the camera rolling. In all, we made three YouTube videos. When you finish video one, you can go to parts two and three.  Each video is as unique as Dave's dance steps.  In video one, Dancing Dave shares his insight on a few of the Vanns, Solomons and Espys, even directing us to go by some family homes he knows a lot about.  In video two, we ride out to the Knowles Farm, where Dave shows us where he picked cotton "back in the day."  In video three, I drive him by the Espy home on Main Street and on to see Uncle Jim. At the end of video three, I have the pleasure of dancing with Dave.....and learning some of his moves. Oh, a little FYI: the "uncle" Dave talks about in South Carolina is actually my cousin Bill Vann in North Carolina!

Here's an article about Dancing Dave that was in the Dothan Eagle.

The Big Crafty

Here's a downtown festival we went to a few weekends ago. Asheville is very artsy, and there's always something fascinating taking place. One of the reasons this city is so vibrant is the fact that people from all over the country are moving or traveling here. When you have a dynamic cross-section of people in one place, one of the pluses is that there's diverse thinking and living styles, and people bring their unique ideas and plug them into what's already here. This vibrancy is key to Asheville's lead in bouncing back from the economic malaise that hit the country a few years ago. Facebook and Google have built huge data centers in this region. Asheville is the country's beer city, and the number of micro-breweries is growing and growing. Tourism remains strong. National accolades and praise is certainly noteworthy. For me personally, living here is quite wonderful. Besides art fairs, film festivals and cool dining experiences, all of which I adore, Asheville, with the surrounding mountains and waterfalls and rivers, displays a natural beauty that I continue to find compelling. The natural bounty that surrounds this area is remarkable. Even when I have a bad day, I can always count on looking at those mountains and hiking to a waterfall. The pleasure I get from these "free" things not only sustains me, but enhances my outlook and reinvigorates me. Hats off to you, Asheville!

Lake Junaluska

Saturday Kade and I joined up with some members of the Asheville meetup group, Urban Legends. We went on a wonderful picnic and walk in a stunningly beautiful part of Western North Carolina, thirty minutes outside Asheville. Luckily, we had a guide named Allan (seen above) who lives in the area. Besides adequate exercise, our group got lessons in North Carolina History and in Botany and Dendrology. I plan to see if I can get transfer credits at UNCA!  Enjoy my video creation!

Yes, I am interested in the family tree, and in particular the Solomon branch.  In fact, on returning from Asheville I had planned a side trip to Lake Junaluksa, the Methodist retreat where they have a museum and the archives of the church.  I had told our minister here in Vinings about my great, great grandfather (may have missed another great) who was in Georgia when John and Charles Wesley came over from England.  As you may know, John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist religion.  Great, great granddad was so taken with John Wesley that he named great grandfather John Wesley Solomon, and this was the namesake for James Wesley Vann, Uncle Jim.  John Wesley Solomon became a Methodist minister and when Andy Jackson ran the Indians out of the area, he rode the west side of the Chattahoochee River setting up Methodist churches.  I think that he ended up around Pittsview (?) Alabama somewhere above Abbeville.  Didn't we have a relative named Emma Pitts? 

At any rate, I had hoped to discover his history and church foundings/ministries documented within the Methodist Church.  For all I know, he may have founded our little Methodist church here in Vinings.  We incorporated it a few years ago for the first time since 1872.  It has been active here since that time.  Wouldn't it be cool if he was the founder?   - Cousin Jack Vann, Jr.

Mother's Day

About: This site was created as a virtual repository for all of the various psychology and therapy-related things (quotes, articles, videos, music, pictures) I come across online in my work as a psychotherapist.
Disclaimer: Posting something to this site does not mean that I necessarily agree with or endorse the opinions being expressed therein. The articles I link to here are meant only to inform and inspire thought and discussion, but they are absolutely not meant to be taken as my personal or professional opinion on any particular issue.

“A mother is a mother still, The holiest thing alive.”—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

R to L (Leslie, Mark, Miles, Allen, Mother's hands) 
Notice the squirrel on my outfit.  How fitting!

Sunday is Mother's Day.  Like all of us can say about our mothers, we wouldn't be here without them!  My mom had the four of us by the time she was twenty-seven.  Very young, in my book.  Sometimes I will get into conversations with people about parenting, and I'll hear, "Well, couples shouldn't have more than one or two kids."  Of course, they're expressing just how hard it is at times to be parents.  I always tell them, though, I'm very happy my mom didn't stop at two or three!  This Sunday I will be thinking about Mother.  Growing up in Headland, Mother's Day is a time that stands out.  I recall going to church, and they were giving out corsages - like they did every year - to mothers of some kind of distinction.  One award was to the mom with the most kids present with her at church.  Mother won that one several years!  She would proudly walk to the front of the church, and the preacher would pin a corsage on her lovely dress.  Looking back, I never thought four kids was that many!  When I lived in Asia and did a lot of traveling back and forth, on occasion I would bring Mom a brooch from Thailand - something she could wear to church or formal events.  I would jokingly remind her of all the corsages she got on Mother's Day.  She would laugh.  At her memorial service, I brought a corsage (for the four of us) and pinned it to the ribbon on the beautiful flowers that were on the spot where her headstone would be.  Knowing Mother, she would have been more proud of it than all those others combined.  Mom, we love you forever.   

Grace Vann, 2nd Grade

My great aunt, Grace (Vann) Brannon, is in this class photo.  I also think another relative of mine is pictured, but I am waiting for confirmation.

Aunt Mary & Bumps

"Aunt Mary" holding William Felix Vann (Bumps)

"Aunt Mary" was a mid-wife from Dothan who helped out with the deliveries and immediate post-delivery period, but Daddy was uncertain for which kids.  Maybe all but Uncles Jack and Sam?  Aunt Grace and Uncle Sam could not fill-in this info void.  - Bill Vann

Atop Mount Pisgah!

“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.”   ― Barry Finlay, Kilimanjaro and Beyond

 

Mount Pisgah is one of the highest peaks in the Eastern United States.

Recollections of Watty

Every now and then I get an interesting e-mail from someone who has stumbled across my blog.  Here's one very good example. This is a gentleman who served in the Navy with Uncle Watty.   I simply posted excerpts from his e-mails to me. 

Bob Rudasill

Approaching 85, and still going strong.

I am on the right, the salty looking one.  I was in from 1/45 to 12/47, then reentered the Navy (2/52-2/68)  This picture was taken during tour in French Morocco 53/54.  On the left is "Lefty" Styer (passed away).  Center is  Dennis Fasth (unknown).  I don't recall the name of the guy kneeling.  - Bob

I was browsing and ran across your family history site.  I knew a Major Watt Espy when I was stationed at Port Lyautey, French Morocco.  I was at Port Lyautey from 1953-1954.  We also both attended Teleman school in Bainbridge, Maryland before then.  For us lowly seaman, of which he was one, the story going around was that he had a great deal of influence due to his father.    A congressman would come to Bainbridge (40 miles north of Baltimore) to pick him up, which was quite impressive to us.   If I am speaking of someone other than identified in your site, disregard this.  But I do know he was from Alabama and his father had a great deal of influence with politicians in Washington DC.

After Teleman school in Bainbridge, I then went to NCF Port Lyautey, French (ATT) Morocco where I met Major (Watt) again. We served on the same watch and lived in the same quarters.  The story of his transfer from Naples (where he did not want to be) to Port Lyautey was legend.  Major (Watt) had quite a reputation as a person with political pull.  For instance, he was first sent to Naples, Italy and he stated to the Captain of the base that he did not want to be there but was flatly turned down.  However, during a personnel inspection an admiral was doing, he acknowledged Teleman Espy personally.  The next thing that happened was Major (Watt) was sent to NAVCOMMSTA Port Lyautey at a communications site. I made petty officer 2/C there.  Major (Watt) and I would talk, but we were not close.   

I remember him as rather eccentric but very likable.  I say eccentric not in a derogatory sense but different than the rest of us wild sailors. I was a typical wild sailor and I guess now you would classify him as a nerd.  He was NOT weird but a little eccentric.  In other words, more interested in always reading than carousing than the rest of us.  I remember after lights out, him sitting on the shower floor reading because the lights were still burning in there.  He was likable but a little remote - or maybe we were remote to him.  I did not know him well enough to get personal with him.  However, he was on the same watch section as I and we talked during the watch, but about just trivia.   He sat a TTY weather circuit and we got a kick out of his using his name "Major," which is a rank in the military.  He got attention.   

The weather at Port Lyautey (French Morocco) was very similar to San Diego and we worked watches of eve, day, mid.  Then, we'd have 56 hours off.  And, after the mid, most of us immediately headed to the beaches, but I do not recall Major (Watt) ever being there.  This time at Port Lyautey was the last contact I had with him.

I have traveled throughout Western Europe and Asia Pacific as a sailor and a civilian working for the Navy, but you and your wife have surpassed me in your travels.  The only places I have spent any length of time were Adak in the Aleutians (18 months), Shanghai, China (4 months), French Morocco (18 months), Hong Kong (6 weeks), Yokosuka, Japan (3 years).   Japan was interesting because I had Japanese working for me and I thought I was speaking Japanese very good until one of my senior workers finally got the courage to tell me "Rudy, you speak very good Japanese, but you talk like a girl."  What a blow to my ego!  Needless to say I had been taught by a girl and I did not realize there is a gender difference in the language. 

Robert (Bob) Rudasill

For photos and stories of Uncle Watty during his Navy days, click here.  And, to read of Uncle Watty's encounter with the notorious mobster Lucky Luciano in Naples, click here.