The Piedmont Chronicles
~ est. 2010 ~
[State of GA]
[Newton Co.]
[Newton Co.]
Per chance, I once again had the opportunity to have a conversation with our "esteemed" Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Newton Co., a primary political subdivision of the great state of Georgia, Mr. Keith Ellis.
It was last Wednesday. I had gone by North Covington to collect a few items and as I was heading back to the office and treehouse I saw that ole fella standing at the corner of Floyd & Elm waiting for the light to change. He was on his cell phone. I rolled down the passenger side window and tried to catch his attention; I know he saw me out of the corner of his eye but he acted like he didn't. The light turned and I had cars behind me so I proceeded south on Elm. In my rear view, I saw that he decided to head west on Floyd rather than proceed across the crosswalk as he'd originally planned. For I knew our Chairman was taking that usual walk over to a certain attorney's office on College Ave...
I parked in the Sunbelco/Phillips lot and got ready. I knew what he was up to! After having seen me, he figured he'd go up a block to Church, head west a block or two, and then proceed over to the law offices of Wm. Thomas Craig, Esq. Well, fine readers, I was ready! I quickly eased back north a block to Floyd St. just to make sure he wasn't planning on trying to double back or anything. He wasn't. So I scurried back a block to the corner of Elm & College and waited...
It took a few minutes, longer than I expected, and I started to doubt myself. But then lo and behold - here he comes - Mr. Chairman! Cutting through the Lofts parking lot and crossing through the vacant lot next to Tommy's office heading for the front door.
"Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman," I shouted, as I crossed College to the sidewalk in front of the office. Keith started to pick up the pace, I mean - really! It was as if he was power walking. Well, I did my own power walking and cut him off at the pass, as it were, right in front of the walkway to Craig's office.
"Well, well, well - it's my old pal Marshall McCart," Keith said with that infamous and near-legendary crap-eatin' grin of his. "How the heck are ya'?"
"Good," I replied, "gotta quick minute?"
We then went into the age-old tradition of trading pleasantries, the required UGA football discussions, and quick recaps of what each other had been doing the last several months (we haven't spoken in quite some time and he hasn't returned several phone calls from me the last few months).
It was last Wednesday. I had gone by North Covington to collect a few items and as I was heading back to the office and treehouse I saw that ole fella standing at the corner of Floyd & Elm waiting for the light to change. He was on his cell phone. I rolled down the passenger side window and tried to catch his attention; I know he saw me out of the corner of his eye but he acted like he didn't. The light turned and I had cars behind me so I proceeded south on Elm. In my rear view, I saw that he decided to head west on Floyd rather than proceed across the crosswalk as he'd originally planned. For I knew our Chairman was taking that usual walk over to a certain attorney's office on College Ave...
I parked in the Sunbelco/Phillips lot and got ready. I knew what he was up to! After having seen me, he figured he'd go up a block to Church, head west a block or two, and then proceed over to the law offices of Wm. Thomas Craig, Esq. Well, fine readers, I was ready! I quickly eased back north a block to Floyd St. just to make sure he wasn't planning on trying to double back or anything. He wasn't. So I scurried back a block to the corner of Elm & College and waited...
It took a few minutes, longer than I expected, and I started to doubt myself. But then lo and behold - here he comes - Mr. Chairman! Cutting through the Lofts parking lot and crossing through the vacant lot next to Tommy's office heading for the front door.
"Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman," I shouted, as I crossed College to the sidewalk in front of the office. Keith started to pick up the pace, I mean - really! It was as if he was power walking. Well, I did my own power walking and cut him off at the pass, as it were, right in front of the walkway to Craig's office.
"Well, well, well - it's my old pal Marshall McCart," Keith said with that infamous and near-legendary crap-eatin' grin of his. "How the heck are ya'?"
"Good," I replied, "gotta quick minute?"
We then went into the age-old tradition of trading pleasantries, the required UGA football discussions, and quick recaps of what each other had been doing the last several months (we haven't spoken in quite some time and he hasn't returned several phone calls from me the last few months).
As the discussion turned more serious, we also performed another long-standing ritual where we both gave each other a supposed valuable & largely unknown tidbit of inside information regarding...whatever. But, of course, it's just a game, because both of us already knew both pieces of information the other one was trading, but it's just part of that
~*~*~ and remember - always look 'em in the eye. Say what you're gonna do & then do what you said...keep your friends close, and your enemies closer...it's not what you know - it's who you know...the other "golden rule" - those with the gold make all the rules...deal from a position of strength, power & influence...winning through intimidation. etc et al ~*~*~
Egad & Selah
After a few minutes, the conversation turned pretty serious. As he's done many times over the last few years, he went into the whole "you're so close, Marshall. You're right on the cusp." And Keith's always said that there is really only about 5 - 7 people who "really get what's going on in Newton Co."
Fairly decent-sized swaths of the conversation were "off the record," but most of it wasn't. It was rather eye-opening.
A few minutes in, and Tommy Craig opened up the front door of his office and peered out. He saw me and then immediately slammed the door shut.
To be continued (part I of III)...
