Georgia On My Mind; Sight, Smells, and Sounds of the Peach State.
Search Terms; “Sights,” “Georgia”, “Smells” “Georgia,” and “Sounds” “Georgia”
"It was--Atlanta [Georgia] is very nurturing, and it was. I don't know how it is still now, but it was a very nurturing, very supportive environment then. It was very, it was very loving.” (History Maker Anne Ashmore-Hudson)
Georgia, a sweet southern state, beautifully reflected in the song performed by Ray Charles, “Georgia On My Mind.” written by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael; as the song dances into listeners' ears, that old sweet melody will keep this great state on our minds. Memories such as Georgia's sights, sounds, and smells may linger as one reflects on this state's impact on their life. So much in Georgia has changed; through urban development, movements, and events, Georgia has seen impressive growth. Many think of Atlanta when they hear Georgia, but there is so much more within the State.
As your eyes wander in your environment, what do you pick up? What elements of the surroundings circulate in your head? There are numerous sights to see in Georgia during the seasons. In the summer, Anne Ashmore-Hudson says she remembers playing a common game many children play in their communities. It only requires a stone that can fit in your palm and chalk. Hopscotch is the game, and regarding this fun game she says; Oh, I can go--and I remember was really summer playing hopscotch, the sidewalk thing. Sometimes in summer it's so hot that if you were going barefoot, you'd have to jump from one little patch of grass to another. Summers in Georgia are hot, as the game “The Floor is Lava” can be played during the scorching summer afternoons. Anne Ashmore-Hudson remembers seeing the hopscotch drawing on the pavement, a formation of squares usually laid in a pattern on one spare followed by two spares and then one square in a linear fashion. Dr. Henry L. Cook also recalls seeing this game from his childhood in Macon, Georgia, saying, “There were no toys so we, we played games; we made our own kites or hopscotch; we just drew on the ground, you know. So the games you made up.” This game is a classic outdoor game that requires little to no money to play. If the chalk is unavailable, dragging something against the pavement, like a stone, will leave a white mark. Georgia natives or those who take an interest in the soil of this state know that Georgia red clay has a bright pigment of a rusty red and, when dried could be used to draw the squares intended for an enjoyable game of hopscotch.
Speaking of summer fun, Washington park, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a common spot for community gatherings in the warm sun’s rays. Lottie Walkins talks about these gatherings, as she recalls seeing the festivals being hosted at the park. Shes says; ”Well they weren't as large as the carnivals are now, but they would be near the Washington Park [Atlanta, Georgia] area, which was-- it was nice for us during those days and the children would go over there and play and during those days everybody went to Sunday school and there was always a Sunday school picnic.” Washington Park is still flourishing, as there are tennis courts and more workout equipment over in the park, but now one thing is still evident, the large open areas for those who want somewhere to soak in the beautiful summer weather. This park is also a wonderful gathering spot with an open area kids are free to wander free, surrounded by grass and greenery. Edith Ingram recalls another wonderful sight of her time at her aunt’s home in Sparta, Georgia. She remembers seeing the programs on her aunt’s television as they became popular household objects in black homes. She says: “But she had a television, and we'd gather there to watch television. And of course, I remember that we'd gather there to get watered down, we called it. She'd turn the water hose on all of us in the summertime; that was our swimming. She'd water us down with the water hose, all the children in the neighborhood.” Such a sight to see during the summer coming inside to cool off and watch a show on tv or stepping into the yard to be greeted by a delightfully cold stream of water from a garden hose. With the right person holding the hose, you had a built-in sprinkler with as many settings as the one sold in stores; all you had to do was press your finger against the hose's opening to maneuver the water-spraying effect.
Georgia has a little bit of everything regarding cuisine; some dishes are slightly more unique than others. At age seven or eight, Edith Ingram helped run a store with her aunt. The smell that lingered in her mind all the years, she says was; “The smells that I remember is pig ears cooking. I sold pig ear sandwiches.” Pig ear sandwhiches, that is one way to utilize the full pig. People enjoyed these sandwiches as she follows her statement above with; “The man down the street had a little barbecue joint, and people would be down there drinking whiskey. And by the time they got half lit, they'd come up there and get pig ear sandwiches and eat, and then they'd go back and start their drinking habits all over again.” The smell of food seems to be a popular memory from childhood, as many makers inside the archive when asked questions about the smells from their childhood, reflect on a dish. When staying with his maternal grandparents in Louisville, Georgia, Danny Glover remembers the smell of breakfast meats cooking in the morning, sharing, “Because I spent so much time, my early sensorial mechanism was, was really, you know, was really formed and shaped through those images, you know, the smell, smell of breakfast, the smell of sausage cooking. We would smell that. The smell of--the feel- feeling of the hot air, the heaviness to the air.” Breakfast is one of those dishes that positively starts the day off right; the warm heat of the pan intertwines with the smells of the eggs, sausage, and possibly other elements accompany the sausage, such as grits, toast, or potatoes. Georgia Dickens remembers the smell of the woods and leafy greenery that grew in Crawford, Georgia. The further away from he city one lives the beautiful trees and yards provide some amazing sights. Georgia Dickens says; “Smells I kind of liked the leafy, the woodsy and things. I, I think that's really why I like earth tones so much. 'Cause I was always outdoors that's all I could do, stay outdoors most of the time.” Within nature, there are so many sights; the wildlife, the spring blooms, and the formations of stone. The earth tones she discusses are in reference to the greens, browns, blues, and hues you see out in your backyard. She associates the smells of the outdoors with the colors of outside.
Sources used
Anne Ashmore-Hudson (The HistoryMakers A2003.176), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 1, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 8, Anne Ashmore-Hudson continues to describe her childhood environs, Atlanta, Georgia, part 2
Dr. Henry L. Cook (The HistoryMakers A2002.015), interviewed by Samuel Adams, March 16, 2002, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 11, Henry Cook describes the sights, smells, and sounds of his childhood
The Honorable Lottie Watkins (The HistoryMakers A2006.037), interviewed by Evelyn Pounds, March 16, 2006, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 9, The Honorable Lottie Watkins describes the sights, sounds and smells of growing up, pt. 1
The Honorable Edith Ingram (The HistoryMakers A2006.007), interviewed by Evelyn Pounds, January 25, 2006, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 14, The Honorable Edith Ingram describes the sights, sounds and smells of her childhood
Danny Glover (The HistoryMakers A2015.014), interviewed by Julieanna L. Richardson, December 20, 2015, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 9, Danny Glover describes his maternal grandparents' farm in Louisville, Georgia
Georgia Dickens (The HistoryMakers A2005.141), interviewed by Larry Crowe, June 21, 2005, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 10, Georgia Dickens describes the sights, sounds, and smells of her childhood