Why not make mistakes?

Most of us are very conservative.  You know what that word means, you know what it is to conserve?  To hold, to guard.  Most of us want to remain respectable and so we want to do the right thing, we want to follow the right conduct, which, if you go into it very deeply, you will see is an indication of fear.  Why not make a mistake, why not find out?  But the man who is afraid is always thinking ‘I must do the right thing.  I must look respectable, I must not let the public think what I am or not’.  Such a man is really, fundamentally, basically, afraid.  A man who is ambitious is really a frightened person, and a man who is frightened has no love, has no sympathy.  It is like a person enclosed behind a wall, in a house.  It is very important – while we are young – to understand this thing, to understand fear.  It is fear that makes us obey, but if we can talk it over, reason together, discuss and think together, then I may understand it and do it; but to compel me, to force me, to do a thing that I do not understand because I am frightened of you, is wrong education.  Is it not?   - Krishnamurti

Krishnamurti

 

Source

 

One of the world's premier acting coaches on what we fear, why we fear it, how fear impedes our creativity, and how we can overcome it.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Vann) Armstrong

Lizzie was the sister of my great-grandfather, Sam Richard Vann, Sr.. 

She was pretty progressive for her time, and clearly had a pioneering spirit.  Hats off to her!

Henry County Siftings

By T. Larry Smith

Vol.17, No. 1

First Woman ever elected in Henry County  

     Elizabeth “Lizzie” Vann Armstrong 1879-1940 of Headland was born at Abbeville, Alabama on April 17, 1879 where she was reared.  Her parents were William Calvin Huss Vann 1845-1918, a Confederate soldier, and Martha Kennedy Vann 1853-1925, both are buried in the Abbeville City Cemetery.  Lizzie was the third of nine children that included Dr. James “Jim” Robert Vann who married Mary Edna Wheeler (this writer’s mother, Edna, was named after her); Mary “May” Vann who married Probate Judge Hasting Whitman Owens; Martha “Mockie” Vann who married Dr. Robert Franklin Blackshear, a Headland dentist, Lizzie and Mockie were very close friends; Samuel Richard “Sam” Vann, Sr., a Headland merchant who married Emma Kate Solomon; Ruth Armour Vann who married William Clarence Maddox of Abbeville; William Cass “Coot” Vann of Abbeville who never married and was a WWI soldier; Daniel Denkins “Dan” Vann of Abbeville who never married and was also a WWII soldier; and Kathleen Vann of Abbeville who never married.

     Lizzie was married to Thomas Whitfield “Whit” Armstrong, Sr. 1879-1956, a son of Thomas Sutton Armstrong 1846-1890 and Martha “Mattie” Elizabeth Balkum 1859-1908 (1) Armstrong of the now dead town of Balkum, Alabama. Mattie was married a second time, after T.S. Armstrong’s death, to (2) Thomas Baldwin Gamble 1871-1931 who is buried in the Balkum Cemetery next to his mother, Mattie and T.B. Gamble had several children including James Leon Gamble.  Whit Armstrong, Sr. was a merchant and farmer and he and Lizzie first lived at Balkum, AL. Whit, Sr., was offered the Postmaster’s job at the Balkum P.O. in 1903 but declined; he and Lizzie soon moved to Headland, AL in1903 where he was a merchant while continuing his farming interests at Balkum. Whit, Sr., and Lizzie lived on the north side of East Church Street in Headland next door to Dr. R.F. Blackshear, a Headland dentist who was married to Lizzie’s sister “Mockie”.  Whit, Sr., and Lizzie became parents of three children, (1) Mildred Balkum Armstrong who married Tom Aust, they lived in Headland and had no issue and are buried in the Abbeville City Cemetery; (2) Bill Armstrong was the second child, he married Frances Radford, they were parents of a son and daughter.  Bill was born at Balkum and was very fond of Balkum where he was a large land owner; he and his wife are buried in the Balkum Cemetery.  Bill was an attorney and later became  an Enterprise, AL banker, and his son Thomas “Whit” Armstrong III, is now an Enterprise banker. Bill’s daughter, Mary E. Armstrong Weatherford lives in Enterprise, AL where her husband is an attorney, she and brother Whit III now own the large Armstrong land holdings near Balkum Baptist Church; (3) Thomas Whitfield “Whit” Armstrong, Jr. was the third child of Whit, Sr., and Lizzie; he who died in 1950 at age 33 of a sudden heart attack and was buried in the Abbeville Cemetery.

     Lizzie Vann Armstrong was among the first women who registered to vote in the 1920 county wide elections, in which this election marked the first time that women had the right to vote.  No woman had ever voted in Henry County or held public office prior to 1920. Lizzie was a determined woman and was an ardent homemaker, and was devoted to her family, the Baptist Church, school activities, and her pleasures which included watching movies and playing bridge games, and was active in whatever public issues that came up in Headland and the county.  Lizzie also operated a boarding house and enjoyed cooking. Having a strong constitution, Lizzie announced in October of 1920 to be the first woman to run for a public office in Henry County. Lizzie ran for the office of Constable in Beat One which was the Headland area Beat.  Lizzie won the election and became the first woman to ever be elected to public office in Henry County.  A number of other Beat Constables were also elected across the county in the 1920 election; however, they all were men. Lizzie’s Constable duties included assisting in patrolling the streets when needed, watching over various public events, serving legal papers and warrants, having arresting powers, attending circuit court when called upon, execute summons and return all court papers, pay all monies collected pertaining to the office, and perform all other duties that might be required by law. Constables date back to at least 1850 in Alabama, however, only a few cities and counties use constables today.  Henry County has no constables today as such.

     Lizzie was spending the weekend in Montgomery along with her very close sister, Ruth Maddox, Mrs. George Nichols, Miss Miriam Jean Nichols, and W.L. Solomon all of Abbeville; when on Feb. 10, 1940, she was stricken with a heart attack while momentarily alone in a department store and gave the address of her nephew, Cranford Blackshear, to the attending ambulance drivers; however, she died at age 61 before reaching the hospital in Montgomery.  Headland was shocked to hear the news!  She was looking forward to seeing the movie Gone with the Wind. Her funeral was held in her Headland home with burial in the Vann family plot in the Abbeville City Cemetery.  Lizzie Vann Armstrong was a pioneer in women’s rights in Henry County.  More Anon!

To read more about the Vanns, including more about Lizzie's siblings, click here for my Vann archive.  And be sure, when you scroll down to the bottom of each page, click older posts to keep going.  There's a lot there.

and more photos of Lizzie Vann from cousin Jim Vann's collection

Lizzie is # 19.  Granddaddy Vann is # 17.  For more on Granddaddy Vann, click here.

Self-Confidence

Many people appear to be psychologically crippled - overcome with fear, doubt, self-loathing, resentment and all the other self-defeating negatives that come to mind.  I'm not talking about the normal ups and downs that we face due to life's blows - death of a spouse, losing a job, getting injured, etc..  Certainly not that.  I'm talking more about a sustained pattern or presence in a person's life that's clearly seen by others.  If you hear lots of people say, "That person is always negative" or "He seems to be always be angry" or "She's always needing attention", there's likely something there.  You could come up with a thousand more examples.  You might even see characteristics of a person's psychological state in how they treat their bodies.  Are they abusing themselves with food and drugs or neglecting their sleep? It could be seen in their relationships.  A better test would be what your gut tells about how you're living and how you're interpreting life around you.  Unless it's deeply repressed or you're a sociopath, you should feel something.  Again, I'm talking about a consistent pattern over the span of a person's life - not those moments where we slip and fall, and then get back up and regain our footing.

 

The causes of people's afflictions, real or not, are many.  Some of it could be the result of the environment people live in, some of could be innate and other times it's simply a combination of factors, some more obvious than others.  There could be people around us that bring us down, or we could be a part of institutions and cultures that actually benefit from keeping individuals or sub-groups from reaching their potential.  We could just live in cultures where most people live in a depressed state and have a self-defeating belief system that inevitably, by virtue of existing within it, affects us.  It can also just be overwhelming circumstances that just make it hard for people to keep their heads above water - financial pressures, work stress, family dysfunction, social obligations - contribute to feelings of unending pessimism, constant worry and paralyzing fear.

To make matters worse, people often times deal with the tension and frustration in their lives by finding and blaming scapegoats.  It could be a spouse, it could be children, it could be the Jews, it could be a political party, it could be yourself, it could be parents, it could be your past, it could be another race, it could be terrorists, it could be an ex, anything.  I heard someone say once that their inability to stay committed to walking for exercise and weight loss was because of the devil, and that other folks back at the church felt that too.  They kind of laughed about it when they said it, but it still said something about the need to find something to blame.  When you can't put your finger on it, there's always the greatest scapegoat, the devil.

My belief is that the degree that a person is psychologically crippled will inevitably reveal itself in his/her self-confidence.  I also believe strongly that people may not be able to completely transform their lives, but they certainly can make them better.  And once you're on that path, a real transformation then can become a distinct possibility.  But you have to start where you are, and just move forward. And it doesn't have to be something you do on your own.  We do need support in life.

Here's one way to get started:

Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living."  How is examining your own life going to propel you forward?  And how will the simple art of asking questions help you in this endeavor? Let's start by enjoying this segment of a documentary hosted by Alain de Botton.

 

Games Young Boys Play

My sister Leslie is second from the left.  Mrs. Medley later became my teacher in the 7th grade.  I do recognize Wendy Oates, second from the right.  Not sure about the other girls.  Leslie likes to remind me - and I like to be reminded of it! - that when she invited her girlfriends over to spend the day or the night, they'd sometimes sit on the floor in her bedroom, playing and having fun, and I would walk in (likely the age I am in the picture below).  My M.O. (modus operandi) was to get in the center of the circle and sing, "I want some sugar doo, I want some sugar doo, I want some sugar doo."  And with their encouragement, as I was singing, I would saunter over to one of her friends and kiss them.  It was my version of Duck, Duck, Goose.

The Intruder



The Intruder - a man in a gleaming white suit comes to a small Southern town on the eve of integration. He calls himself a social reformer. But what he does is stir up trouble--trouble he soon finds he can't control. - Source

One week when I was watching numerous B-rated horror movies directed by Roger Corman - incidentally, the man who gave Jack Nicholson his start - I discovered this film. Produced and directed by Roger Corman, The Intruder was released in 1962, and it stars William Shatner. Surely it was a very provocative and eye-opening film of that era. In truth, though, because Corman was mostly known for his very low-budget, almost silly horror films, The Intruder got largely ignored. But it's a powerful social film, and as time passes, it keeps getting a second look by critics and movie lovers. I certainly recommend it.

In college, I recall seeing images like this, and it shocked me in large part because I wouldn't have expected prim and proper white Southern ladies to publicly display this kind of anger. I could see men doing it, of course, but women?!?!? Just threw me a bit. And so watching The Intruder reminded me that we're all capable - all human beings - of getting swept up with the times, and displaying some of the worst traits imaginable, along with some of the best traits. Although it's intensified in the past few years, for a while I have wondered what life was really like when my parents were growing up, the good and bad. And I wondered what I really would be doing, living in those days, faced with similar circumstances. Who knows? What do they say about hindsight?

The Ever Observant

source

 

One day a young girl was watching her mother cook a roast beef.  Just before the mother put the roast in the pot, she cut a slice off the end.  The ever observant daughter asked her mother why she had done that, and the mother responded that her grandmother had always done it.  Later that same afternoon, the mother was curious, so she called her mother and asked her the same question.  Her mother, the child’s grandmother, said that in her day she had to trim the roasts because they were usually too big for a regular pot.

 

Can you think of a moral for this story?

Thanking a Teacher

Recalling His Inspiration, A Neurosurgeon Thanks A Teacher  by NPR Staff    Listen to the story here.

  

Now, my personal story. 

 

When I was off at college, there were a few professors that made a significant impact on my life.  One of them, in particular, made a huge difference, and I would frequently share stories with friends and family about his classes.  If you were in the business school, you couldn't avoid them.  A decade after I graduated from Samford, I used the Internet to track down this professor, to find out where he was, and, more importantly, thank him for his influence on me.  He had moved on to a university in Virginia.

 

Here are excerpts from a few e-mails:

 

Me:

 

I am sorry to hear that you left Samford, but it appears that you are happy where you are.  Personally, I don't think it makes a difference.  In the end, it's all the same. You are going to continue reaching students wherever you are.

 

I think back to my days at Samford when I thought I understood this world we live in. I didn't know anything!  In fact, if  I were honest, I'd have to say that I was scared out of my wits to truly challenge the perceptions I had of the world.  Slowly but surely,  I fought my way out of that way of thinking, and have now developed a more independent mind.  What's fascinating is that once you break  through, it's not scary anymore.  Instead, I'd have to say that I'm the freest I've ever been.  I do owe you a personal thanks simply because you were one of a handful of people I encountered during my collegiate years who really urged me to test my beliefs.  What's funny is that you rattled my world so much back in the early 90's, I never could muster up the courage to thank you then.  So, let me thank you now.

 
I wish you the absolute best and hope that you remain dedicated to what you do best:  jolting people out of their comfort zones.  

Professor:

Allen, I was thrilled to hear from you. Congratulations on the marriage.  Kadesarin is just stunningly beautiful.  Boy, you really had to journey a long way from home to find a bride!  Please drop me a note to fill me in on how you two met and what kinds of involvements (other than marriage!) you have in Thailand.  Interestingly, when your note arrived, my daughter's mother-in-law was in Thailand touring.  Small world.
 
It was truly good to hear from you - and more important to learn that you are thriving on life.  When you are next in the States, give me a call.  I obviously would relish the opportunity to learn more from you about your experiences and pilgrimage. 

 

A major responsibility is to be good stewards of life and of the opportunities that it presents.  You are a wonderful example of someone who has done this and you reflect what I think is a cardinal dimension of stewardship:  you did not  wait for life to come to you; you create the opportunities that challenge and nurture you. 

Let's commit to stay in touch and to keep each other informed of the  joys of our journeys.

Me:

 

I remember one remark you to our class and that was that we should be prepared to change our life course or career at least five times.  You said "gone are the days that people can expect to work for the same institution for 30 years."  I believe you!  Change is vital for growth. 

I hope to always pursue a life of self-education, because I know that it will equip me to withstand difficulties that might come my way, and ultimately smooth the path for any transition I might face.  Certainly, traveling is one of chief ways I try to educate myself.  Reading is another.  I never used to read things outside of the Bible, a few biographies and plenty of sports magazines.  Now I can't get enough of any books really.

 

Well, I know you've traveled a lot, to South Africa and other places I'm sure.  You especially know the benefits.  Would you mind telling me where you've been and what impact traveling abroad had on your life and thinking?

 

 

Have you thanked a teacher?

 

The Measure of a Teacher

This day I stopped by for a visit.  circa late '90s

I took my friends from Seattle & Portland, OR to the school to meet Mother.

Mother's retirement party

My mother was a primary school teacher for 25 years, and based on what people have told me, a very, very good one.  Mother was more than a teacher.  She was an example and role model.  Far from perfect, of course, but there were times where she clearly stood for what was right, and didn't back down.  Here was a biggie:  Mother told me about a time in her classroom - second grade class, by the way - when a white student, a girl, leading up to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, said out loud in front of the whole class, a class that had a handful of black students, "My mama said that the [insert place of business here] ain't gone close for no nigger."  How did my mother respond?  Well, after telling her to never use that word again and why she shouldn't, Mother launched into a "real lesson" for the whole class, and especially for that young girl, putting aside the text book and simply explaining, in her own way, what Martin Luther King, Jr. did to improve our society, and what he stood for.  I remember when she shared this with me.  It made me feel proud of her, and in awe, really, because I knew that so much of our society was stuck in the old ways - certainly of her generation.  Many still are.  So, it took courage. Real courage.  Mother, of course, grew up in the segregated South, and in a rural part of Henry County, and if she could change her thinking, anybody can.  Incidentally, the other day I was playing back an interview I did with my grandmother Dot, my mother's mother - an interview I did in 1997.  It was mainly just a spontaneous, fun Q & A where I was trying out my micro-cassette recorder.  Dot was witty and sharp, and had her own opinions for sure.  In that interview, there was a moment when I asked, "Dot, what was it like in those days, in terms of race relations and the whole system of segregation?  Times were really different back then, right?"  Her answer, "To be honest with you, it was pathetic."  There she was, in her late seventies, putting it out there.  So maybe my mother's views didn't entirely happen by accident or self-discovery.

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source

Bonnie & Marc

Sometime in the late 1980s (I know it was about then because my mother, Bonnie Willis, retired from school in 1989) some of the special education kids at Headland Elementary made ceramics that were sold to raise funds for something.  Mother bought a nice ceramic swan that was one of a matching pair (probably male and female).  Seems like it was $15 - $20.  She really didn't think she could afford or should buy the other one.

A few days later, mother was home on Forrest Street and the side doorbell rang and it was Dinah with the other ceramic swan as a surprise gift.  The ceramic swans still sit on the bricks beneath the fireplace to this day!!!   We always thought that was nice. I told mother that I saw you and Miles, and she said that Dinah was always very nice and grateful when she would do some teachers-aid work for her at school. Your mother was a very kind, thoughtful and giving person, and is greatly missed!   - Marc Willis

Mrs. Marjorie Masters is on the left.  She was the Special ED teacher at the elementary school.

Swans have a new home ! (March '22)

Headland Town Square Buildings

 To learn more about Tom Espy (Thomas Franklin Espy), click here.

J.J. Espy is listed as a city council member, serving as treasurer

Thanks to Larry Smith for his research and his writing. 

His scanning and e-mailing skills are quite good too!

I intend to post other vintage photos of Headland buildings here in the coming days. 

And if anyone has some, please send them to me.  Thank you!

Headland, Alabama Town Square

If you are able to download and really zoom in on this image, you will see VANN Dry Goods across the square.

This photo is from one of Larry Smith's articles.

Sitting on a park bench dedicated to the memory of my grandparents, Major W. Espy and Edith Vann Espy.  The Headland square has numerous park benches like this, where people have honored someone - living and dead.

A video I made in 2012.  Dr. Jim Vann (Uncle Jim) of Headland led us on a historical tour of the Headland Town Square, pointing out what he remembers about the square when he was growing up and the changes he's seen over the years. Before we got started on this tour, Kade and I accompanied Uncle Jim to Hardees, where we got a cup of coffee, did some people watching and talked some pop culture and politics.

And a short one from 2012. 

Click here for over thirty scanned pages (w/ numerous historical photos) of the magazine commemorating Headland's centennial birthday.  Enjoy!

The fountain above is in memory of Major W. Espy, Edith Vann (Espy) and Mila Espy (Woods).  It was put in about seven years ago.  The local Kiwanis Club gave the fence around it, and a family (perhaps Donnie Smith's) gave the ornamentation around the fountain in memory of Shannon Cook. 

-Images and information provided by Natalie Espy Woods and Marilyn Espy (McClendon)

Click here to learn about this book.

A lot of the images above are from this Facebook page. 

Thanks to the ones who scanned and uploaded them.

Headland High School, Through the Years

Starting with the original Henry County High School, which I assume was on the grounds of present-day Headland High School, I will end up adding photos as I get them.  My goal here is to simply focus on the buildings and grounds.  The bulk of these I got from this Facebook page.  Thank you to the person(s) who scanned and uploaded them.

 

And nowadays.