Smoke Signals and other news
On May 17, six months will have gone by since the passing of my husband. The house is different without him. It is quieter, with less TV as I am not a big TV watcher, and I do not need to check on him constantly, but it is lonely.
Holidays were celebrated. I had a wonderful trip to Georgia. Hours have been spent sorting, donating, and giving away many of his clothes and other possessions where I felt they would be most beneficial, keeping things that mean the most to me. January and February were spent literally packing up everything in one end of my house (with help) and moving it to another area to replace a great deal of subflooring damage. Twenty years ago, I paid someone to put down a moisture barrier, but it was only put around the edges to make me think the ground was covered. This resulted in white rot, which destroyed entire areas of the subfloor. That project is at a standstill because my workers had to be sent to a more urgent project. I step carefully around the weak spots.
At the end of January, I was asked to become the Parks Manager for the Town of Byhalia. February went by quickly as I endeavored to put together a ball program in record time. February 29 brought knee replacement surgery, and another long journey began.
The month of March seems not to have existed for me. Now, I stay very busy with physical therapy three days a week and many nights at the ball fields.
What do you see at ballfields? Kids playing ball. Do you watch the parents as they watch their children? Even after a long day at work, they are there cheering. Do you see the children not involved in the game, playing with other little ones that may not even know? Do you see the folks lined up at the concession stand hoping to purchase their favorite snacks? Do you see the work that went on behind the scenes to make all this happen? Volunteers may have worked at another job all day, come to the field to cut the grass, drag the fields, line the fields, purchase all the necessary equipment, stock the concession stand, teach the game to the children, prepare to umpire, and raise funds for uniforms and other needs of the teams. With my limited mobility, I may be even more observant just sitting and watching. I watch precious babies find pleasure in such simple delights as finding a particular rock or picking up trash and placing it in a trash can. I see toddlers sharing a snack with a new friend.
Almost 33 years ago, my stepson was murdered and laid on a railroad track for a train to run over in hopes it would appear the train had killed him. The murder was never solved basically because the sheriff’s department in the area where this happened chose not to investigate the case properly. His body was brought to Byhalia and laid to rest. But my family had no answers and no closure.
About two years ago, his sister decided to begin investigating on her own and, through that investigation, connected with CounterClock, a podcast that investigates this type of case. It has taken a year and a half, but the podcast will be released on May 10, with several episodes being released. We do not know what has been uncovered, but we look forward to finding answers. We have heard the trailer and look forward to the emotional gathering the family has planned to listen to the episodes released that day. Feel free to download and listen along with us. It will be hard to hear Doug’s voice throughout these episodes as he and all other family members are interviewed. I realize he now has the answers, but the other family members await those answers.
Feel free to contact me with your news at 901 246-8843, at jchwagg@gmail.com, or on messenger as Clair Wagg.