Indian Wrasling 40 Years Ago --A Lover Not a Fighter

Back in Hickory at the Lenoir Rhyne event of Fall 2007 Football, I was treated to a remembrance...the opportunity to reminisce with my old 'wrasling' coach, LR alum Gene Abercrombie. He retired back home in Statesville a few years ago and I had not run into him since graduation in Charlotte. He started the wrestling program at West Mecklenburg High and was the football coach as well. Can't say that Coach exactly remembered me but he was gracious as we walked back in time. He was a heck-uv-a Coach--I just wasn't a Fighter. He was an influence in my becoming a L.R. Bear.

We talked about Dickie, a double amputee whom I was pitted against as a teammate in practice. He was in the 99 # weight class--without legs that he lost in a train accident. I had thirty pounds on him but even with that advantage he would whup me. He did go on to win the NC High School Championship-- two years running as I remember.

Me on the other hand a less stellar record. Remember--I was a Lover. Pinned in the first match at Myers Park, I didn't let any grappler get me on my back again the whole season.

Oh, and another thing...back then we were the INDIANS. Now to be more p.c. the students at West Meck are known as HAWKS ...sigh.

2007 Football Opener @ Lenoir Rhyne College

Phil from the Class of '70 and Dave of the Class of '71 invited me to join them at the football season opener vs Virginia Union. Why not? Phil had a ticket since Linda reneged and it was a Thursday night toward the end of the month. Warm was the day. It turned out that August was the hottest month on record. But 7:30 game time in the Piedmont Educational Foundation hospitality tent meant I was sure to see Ed/Polly, Daniel/Fonda, Roger/Daisy, Sarge and various felchers that were my best friends from Sigma Phi Epsilon back in the late sixties. My buddies, Fuquay Uno & Fuquay Dos didn't show. And I did see a girl on whom I had a slight crush, knick-named, The Screamer! The anticipation of a boy's night out is typically better than it turns out; this was an exception. Sports & fellowship was great. The Bears had a new coach, Fred Goldsmith (former Rice & Duke coach) but try as he did, LR football turned out as expected in a loss. And after the game the crowd was not asking, "Who is Virginia Union?" But, it wasn't always this way. Ya' know, losing.

Back in 1960 the Bears won the NAIA Championship with the likes of Greensboro's Marion Kirby (who was at the game), Benny Kennerly and Burt Flowers. These last two guys were Boy Scout counselors at Camp Steere on Lake Wylie when I had the Scout rank of Life and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow. They first introduced me to Lenoir Rhyne --now my Alma Mater.

Scooters in the News

A few weeks ago I dropped by ScooterNerds to see if Ryan had repaired my Stella. (It is my preferred scooter shop--friendly and competent folk and a wide selection of two-wheelers) "Nope, not yet, but soon." And that's OK, I have a little Venice 49 cc scoot that I can use instead. Just can't get to places as fast.

Anyway, a television crew was driving up and Eric Chilton at WFMY News 2 asked if I was here for the interview? Well, "No," I replied but it seems the customer who was supposed to do an interview on accessories for scooters hadn't shown up so I agreed to pitch in.

I didn't get to put on my makeup, but off we went. George filmed us as we chatted next to a pretty pink Stella when I commented, "Eric, some would say that a car moves the body but a scooter moves the soul."

After a brief and light-hearted expose on scooters, John Hill, the owner got on film and told how they can be accessorized. He also said, "You'll never see a scooter at a psychiatrist office" --meaning that us scooter riders are FREE from worries and cares.

We departed and a few days later and I heard that John sold a Buddy--by Genuine to Eric. Hope that he and I can set up a little ride sometimes.

The Greensboro Symphony Debutante Ball

It was winter, '06 and finally the culmination of months and months of picnics & parties for the mom and daughter, the Deb. But I'm not sure just whose coming out this celebrated. Both of the ladies really enjoyed it and by the night of the ball, so did Dad. The grandmother, Mary, hung in for all the activity & formality and at 92 she outlasted some of the youthful participants when 1 am rolled around. The Greensboro Symphony Guild actually puts this event on. The Sheraton at Four Seasons was still decorated for Christmas and we used the family photo for New Year's cards. Alice and Zack were good sports to let the debutante have the limelight. Bucko & Cindy joined in the merriment.

The Brooklyn Scooter - STELLA

Fall 2006. After getting the feel (the Good Feel) of riding the little Venice scooter I needed to get more speed to drive on expressways. 38 miles per hour just wouldn't allow me to keep up with Wendover International Expressway with posted limits of 45 but typical traffic 10 more than that. I searched lots of postings and looking at ScooterNerds I kept being drawn to the Stella. Made in 2005 by LML in India at the same plant with Vespas, the Stella came with 150 cc and a top speed of 55. One Sunday morning I drove my Ford Sport Trac up to Brooklyn. Yep, New York. I had arranged a purchase at BrooklynBretta Motor Works. Shiny & white with just a few hundred miles. The 2005 scooter rode right up the ramp and it got strapped in well. As I was headed out of town west into Pennsylvania a cute coed spotted my NC State sticker and gave the WolfPak hand signal and this southerner felt right at home with all those Yankees.

Spent the night near Harrisburg and stopped down I-81 in Winchester, VA at the ancestral home of the Hollingsworths. The oldest stone-constructed dwelling in this Shenandoah Valley town, 'Abrams Delight' was a great tourist attraction. I signed in the special register for members of the Hollingsworth family as my dads mom was Libby Estelle Hollingsworth. Her father was Samuel Levi Hollingsworth, thus how my dad was named for his grandfather--then me as Samuel Hollingsworth Zealy, Jr.

A Scooter Moves the Soul

In 2006 I bought a Venice 49 cc, 2-stroke scooter that a fellow in Wilkesboro, NC had for sale. These small scooters do not require a NC Motorcycle License and have been known as liquor-cycles. Seems that after 3 years this X-drinker finally got his license back and the 7,600 kilometers that he ran on this little scooter carried him well. So, now back to four wheels, he is into the license plate and insurance deal in a car. And I move from a Ford Sport Trac getting 16 mpg to 80 mpg on two wheels. Go figure!
But real freedom is actually more than 38 miles per hour on side streets and not on Wendover International Raceway. Regular gas this week is $2.99 at CostCo and $3.05 at the little curb market. I drive around 100 miles for 1.2 gallons. Last fill-up ran $3.65. Same distance in the truck would be close to twenty bucks in Greensboro.
A car moves the body but a scooter moves the soul.

North Carolinas Junior Miss --2007

It was January, 2007 and for the nineteenth year as I remember it, the Mrs. and I are host parents to two beautiful and talented high school seniors that come to Greensboro to participate in a scholarship program called N.C. Junior Miss. ( Americas Jr. Miss is the national program held in Mobile, LA in the summer). Usually our girls have been in a local contest and were winners to join maybe 20-25 or so others in this program sponsored by the Greensboro Jaycees.

And so this year lovely Amber from Charlotte was joined by this pretty red-head Maggie from eastern NC --maybe Rocky Mount? We just really were rewarded with these two who distinguished themselves from the other girls here with their personality and talent. Dancers...sometimes singers or piano players, but we love them all.

Can't wait for next year! A few years ago one of our beautiful "daughters" for nine days from High Point was named Miss North Carolina just this spring. We taught her all the grace and charm back in 2002 when she got to be the big sister to our two girls--just kidding. And to then keep competing out of the scholarship program to a beauty pageant. Way to go Jessica!!!

Me...at UNC-C

When daughter and parents visited UNC-C this was the shot in front of the Student Center. Beautiful place, but she decided correctly to attend NCSU- fall of 2005.