Columbus Coffee Club

Monday November 26, 2007 12:00 AM

by Sam Davidson in General

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my wife and I went with my parents to visit my grandfather. He is nearly 91 years old and lives in the small town of Columbus, Mississippi, which seems much different from the comparative metropolis of Nashville that I call home.

These trips are always a good chance to see my father's side of the family and to check in on my grandfather. As old as he is, he is still able to take care of himself quite well. In fact, the whole reason for this trip was to help him buy a new car. That's right – after nine decades of living, my grandfather was ready for a new car.

While the trip offered plenty of chances to visit with family and catch up on life, the highlight for me was the visit I paid to one of the most revered Columbus traditions: the group of old men that gather at the McDonald's on Highway 182 every morning at 6:30 for coffee.

I've heard my grandfather talk about this group a number of times. He enjoys this daily ritual and it seems as though each man uses it to brag about his children and grandchildren. After all, nearly all of these guys was well aware I'd recently written a book.

I arrived a bit before my dad and grandfather did and ordered my biscuit and coffee. Since I'm only 26, I had to pay the regular price. In 30 years, I'll be able to get the senior rate: a mere 25 cents for a bottomless cup of coffee.

I walked over to the gathering spot and shook hands with the regulars and introduced myself to the likes of Boyd, John, Walter, Bill and the rest. Apparently, they knew my grandfather had been eying a new car for a while, so they were curious to know if he'd finally bought it. I let them in on the secret that he had, and they all couldn't wait until he drove up.

As we waited for my grandfather's arrival, I learned a few things that you won't find on any Columbus tourism Web site:

• A Mercury Marquis is the best car on the road today. It's much better than a Lincoln or even a Buick.
• The Great Snow of 1940 dumped 30 inches on Columbus.
• When Boyd was stationed in Japan, it snowed more than he'd ever seen.
• It's now too cold to fish.
• Herb died last week. He was 74.
• Bill saw Walter's pastor at the steakhouse yesterday.
• They don't play football like they used to.

Eventually my grandfather pulled up in his new, white, Marquis. Everyone went outside to take a look and hear the tale about the old man and the dealership.

An hour later, the group dispersed to do whatever it is they do on Saturdays – watch TV, take naps, go for a walk, read, wander around Wal-Mart. But for me, I learned a lot more at the coffee hour than the list I mentioned above.

At first glance, Columbus, Mississippi appears to be the land that economic development forgot. It's in the shadow of a college town and is half an hour from better restaurants and a Starbucks. The nearby farms are a fraction of what they used to be and all the better jobs are somewhere else. But, people still live here, people still grow up here, and people still visit relatives here. Babies are born, homes are built and lives are lived.

Columbus will never be Nashville. And it doesn't need to be. But it does need to grow. Like any organism, our cities – no matter their size – need to be moving forward, even if it's only a very small step at a time.

The best way to make sure that any community is doing this is to find time to sit at the table together. It may mean you have to get up at 6 AM and go to McDonald's and listen to what happened at Charlie's recent trip to the doctor. But, buried in that story is a need for better health care. And, buried in the opinion that it's too cold to fish is the need for more entertainment options.

It is my belief that the next generation has the power and the desire to get everyone to sit at the table together. With more and more people coming of age in diverse environments, where tolerance was taught in school and differences embraced, we all have to look past generational lines to find our commonality. We must bridge the generational gap with hope, offering better cities and towns for all residents, regardless of age.

The question then, is this: where are you willing to go in order to listen to the stories that need to be told in order to find the information and ideas for a better tomorrow?

For me, it's this great coffee club out on Highway 182….

Sam Davidson - A speaker, writer, and dreamer with a few years in the nonprofit world, Sam Davidson seeks to tell the stories that need telling in order to motivate people to change the things that need changing. Learn more at http://www.coolpeoplecare.org

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