Beauty in Nowhere

Cordova, Alabama. It's a special place to me. It is a small, old Alabama town with nothing to offer but love and the sense of a close community. I'm sure you've never even heard of such a place. However, that town holds a special place in my heart. I am not from there but I might as well have been. This place is where my grandparents lived and where they raised their three children. There are about 2,000 people who call this town home. The town sits comfortably in Walker County between Jasper and Dora, Alabama. It was a town that was heavily involved with the mining industry, where most of the resident's income existed. The coal, dusted lungs of the miners were hard workers, and that rubbed off on the whole town. I feel that those same hard-working values were passed down through the town to me. Furthermore, hard work and rolling your sleeves up isn't the only thing that town taught me. It also taught me the importance of religion. Within the small town, approximately ten churches stand tall. That is equal to about one church for every road in the town.

There are only a few stores and restaurants in Cordova, most of which were downtown. The downtown had a strip of stores along main street. There were two story buildings with stores on the bottom and living spaces above them. As a kid, I remember when my mom would drop me off in this small southern town for the day, it felt like I was in another world or another dimension. It felt as though there were no trouble, worries, or "bad guys" there. Throughout the pastures and on the sidewalks, are where my imagination felt like reality. I remember playing out there and feeling as though the days were perfect. My runny nose and scraped knees self never failed to keep my family on their toes. If I wasn't playing with some kind of ball, playing with toy trucks, or fishing then I was chasing any kind of animal that crossed my path.

However, this town meant more to me than somewhere that I could play care-free all day. It was where my best friends lived, my Maw-Maw and Papa. On Friday nights, we would go watch Cordova High School play football or "Big Blue" as I called them. The town wasn't the only thing that felt special. The guys who played for "Big Blue" seemed like rock stars. I had all of their names memorized and would run my hardest down to the field to get a high-five. On other days, I remember sitting with my Papa on the pier by the river. We would talk about how to throw a football, talk to a girl, or how to just "be a good boy". During those times, life felt like it stood still. The skies were painted orange and pink as the sun was vanishing from the day. The only sound to be heard was the stillness and quite sounds of bugs and frogs as they sat on their trees and rocks.

During those times, I knew there was more to look forward too. While on an empty stomach from a long day of pretending to capture bad guys, I had to re-fill the tank. As we approached the yellow, three-bedroom house of my grandparents, I would scurry out of the truck as soon as it was put into park. After getting up to the front door, I would open it and run as fast as I could inside. The sweet aroma that was created by my Maw-Maw would hit me in the face. I would run up and hug her in exchange for the biggest plate of food I could put my hands on. Not only was the food great, but it was made with a little sprinkle of love.

After devouring every bit of sweetness that I could handle, I would head for the porch. That is where my day would always end to the sound of the train and stories of ghosts, football or race cars. That was where my childhood was made. That is where I learned how to be a boy and where I got dirty. That town made me who I am today. It taught me the importance of family and how to enjoy the small things in life. I believe we all have one of those places in our hearts. I feel that we should hold those places dear and never forget where we came from. To the average person, that town may seem irrelevant but that's where I see the beauty in it. I think its amazing how a small town can seem like a whole 'nother world to someone else. There is beauty in everything and I'm glad I see the beauty of Cordova, Alabama.