On the Road Again

This is my latest article for the Southern Sentinel

One of my earliest memories may tell you a great deal about me. One of the things that I remember first from my childhood was my brother bringing home a new 8 track that we played in our home stereo of Willie Nelson singing “On the Road Again.” I remember that like it was yesterday and to this day I love that song.

That may be because I come from a family of travelers. My dad is a trucker driver. Before they adopted me, he used to travel long haul, all over the country. When they got me, he hauled boxes between Fernwood, MS and Birmingham. And now, he hauls chickens for Sanderson Farms in McComb. My brother was a trucker driver, too, before an injury. He hauled groceries, and then the mail all over the Southeast.

But, Andy, you’re not a trucker, right? You’re a preacher? That’s right. But, since we’ve been in the ministry, I’ve lived in Jackson (Raymond, to be exact), then the Delta (Cleveland) and East Mississippi (Philadelphia). And now, here in Ripley. So, my family has gotten to see a lot of this wonderful state, and we’ve been able to sing “On the Road Again” some ourselves.

I tell you this to remind you about how great it is to have a home. You don’t know the adventure of traveling, if you don’t have a place to lay your head on at night. You don’t know how fun it is to see new things, if you don’t have something familiar to come back to. You don’t enjoy being gone unless you have something to come back to.

As someone still pretty new to Ripley, and Tippah County, I’m sharing all this with you to let you know, as someone not “from around here” what a wonderful place we live in. What a great part of the world to call home. We live a great part of the world with community spirit, with a desire to be the best place we can possibly be.

What a great place to call home! As we travel a lot during this season, with all the places we will go, with all the time “on the road again” don’t forget where home is. Don’t forget what great place this is, and don’t forget to do your part!

For, the only way that our home can continue to be the great place it is, is if we all do our part! In this season, and in the coming New Year, let’s all do our part to continue to make Ripley and Tippah County the shinning stars that we know that they are!