Live from Pearlington - April 17, 2006

Today is my last day in Pearlington this trip - I leave from Gulfport Airport tomorrow morning well before dawn. It's been a productive and fast-paced 10 days, although things were pretty quiet in town this weekend because of the Easter holiday.

Yesterday, my hosts Susie Sharp and Pam Kirkland made us a wonderful Easter dinner. I enjoy their company immensely and that of Pam's husband Mike Aultman. Mike made his Karaoke debut Friday night and did an awesome job. It takes a lot of guts to get up there in front of people you've known for years, but Mike nailed it! Mike....Harley drivin', tattooed, tobacca-chewin', hard workin', good ole Mississippi boy Mike - with a heart of gold, a green thumb for veggies and a promising voice. Who'd have guessed?

I thought I'd better post that last part as I headed out of town....

It was also a rare privilege to attend the Easter service at the First Missionary Baptist Church. This is one of the African-American churches in town and it was a good old time. Pastor Rawls and three other preachers whipped up a Praise-Fest and souls were being saved at an alarming rate. Much to my surprise (not!) I was invited to sing and I was ready. I'd heard everybody was at risk of being asked to perform. I shared a song by the Eagles and I took the liberty of adding a verse of my own - just for Pearlington:

Hole in the World

(Chorus)
There’s a hole in the world tonight;
There’s a cloud of fear and sorrow.
There’s a hole in the world tonight;
Don’t let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.

They say that anger is just love disappointed,
They say that love is just a state of mind.
But all this fighting over who will be anointed,
Oh....how can people be so blind.

(Chorus)

We must all learn how to dance with Katrina,
Stand together, linking arm in arm.
We will all learn that God’s love’s everlasting,
Keeping all His children safe from harm.

(Chorus)

Oh, they tell me there’s a place over yonder,
Cool water running through the burning sand.
Until we all learn how to love one another,
We will never reach the Promised Land.

(Chorus)
(Chorus)

It was a wonderful service and I had always dreamed of singing in a southern black church. They made us all feel very welcome and appreciated and after, filled us with some more of that fine southern cooking.

I'll miss Pearlington, but it's time to go home. I miss more my darling wife and the green, green grass of southern Ontario in the spring. My heart is there and it's my home.

But, as Arnold would say: "I'LL BE BACK!"