Archive for The Gathering Place "The Gathering Place" is a web community where people can gather and make new friends, share ideas, enjoy a few laughs and learn about many interesting things together. It is a safe place where friends can correspond with each other about what they love.
Just a word from Al. I am a simple person. Not too smart, not too dumb. My only intent, if I am lucky, will be to make your heart smile, make you reflect, and possibly inform you just a little. My only advice will be that you never forget that most everybody needs some kindness on certain days and that you may be the only person on the face of the earth that can provide that kindness. Just think about the times that you need that special kindness that can only be shown by your favorite pet. I would suggest that the greatest journey you may ever make will be the few steps out of your way to offer a smile or a helping hand to someone in need.
My first attempt at suggesting something that might give your heart a friendly tug is for you to borrow, rent, etc. a movie by the title of “The Straight Story”. On Tuesday March 13, 2007, Mike Clark in USA Today wrote, “This may be the best live-action G-rated movie since the current movie rating system began in 1968.
I suggest you will not be sorry if you take the time to enjoy the great movie.
See you next time.
Al
CajuninKy
Very nice to meet you, Al. I agree with you 100% about kindness. There is far too little of it in the world today. I am looking forward to your forum.
Cajun in Ky
smokey the dog
Woof Woof! and welcome from smokey
Al
Hi Cajuninky from Al: I was born in extreme N.E. Louisiana.
Both parents and a brother retired from working at Angola State Penitentiary. I am an extreme LSU Tiger fan now living in another state. Thanks for the kind words.
Hi Smokey: Thanks for the kind greeting. I doubt you will ever learn anything profound from me, but maybe I will fool you just a little.
Aloe
Hi, Al. I've never been to Louisiana, but I really like Cajun music. In fact, it's my favorite kind of music. (I know. That's a totally different part of the state from where you were from.) I don't know where I got that from since I'm from Pennsylvania. I saw something on t.v. on time about Angola. It looked really brutal. I have nothing but admiration for your relatives that worked there. It must have been a terribly tough job.
Anyway, welcome to The Gathering Place.
CajuninKy
Bon Jour, Al. How's ya momma an dem? LOL Great to meet another Tiger fan! Geaux Tigers!!!
Years ago Angola was different from other prisons in that it was self sufficient. The prisoners grew their own food. They raised beef cattle to eat and to sell and there was an equine breeding operation there until 10 or so years ago. I saw a few of the horses that came from the program. They were all branded with a replica of the state of La. They were using a Percheron stallion and crossing him onto Quarter horse and Appaloosa mares. I saw one of the App x fillies that was leased by a mounted policeman in NO. He worked Bourbon Street at Mardi Gras with her and he didn't get lip from anyone. She was big and beautiful. A blue leopard.
What town did you grow up in? I've been up North a few times so I might recognize it.
Al
To Aloe and CajuninKy
I traveled to Pa. on business trips and was totally impressed with the scenery. The Pittsburgh area was nice, but the area near Corning N.Y. was just outstanding. I found the people to be very friendly and considerate. Nothing but fond memories of the state. (I will say that the Pittsburgh Airport is a bit too cold in the winter)
I once asked a co-worker on a cold meat packing dock why he was whistling and singing and he said to keep from crying. I think Cajun music is a little similar. As a general rule, Cajun people have very little in the way of wealth. About all my relatives had to show for their labors was a good fishing boat, a good hunting dog, and a good recipe
for their favorite food. Cajun music is a little like the blues;
it hides the tears. This point of view would probably get you into a big argument in a room full of Cajuns. Of course, my idea is that a room full of Cajuns always leads to arguments, music or a card game.
Re: Angola
When I was about 20 years old, my parents sold our farm, (I hasten to add non-profit farm) and both got Jobs at Angola. My mother was a telephone switchboard operator and my Dad operated the Radio Room. Angola was divided into camps and all the free people lived in a single subdivision type area. Homes were nice, two qts. of milk was delivered daily along with all the fresh vegetables you wanted and it was all free. There was a store where anything available in any other store was there also for sale. The free people were insulated from the convicts and, to a great extent, things functioned very much like a small town. I remember hearing my parents say more than one time that the smartest thing they ever did was to move to Angola. At one time, my Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Aunt, Uncle and a second cousin all worked at Angola at the same time.
The most difficult thing was seeing a boy from my high school caged like an animal. I never felt free until I was allowed to drive through the locked front gates after every visit, and there were many visits. The least understood thing was seeing someone who had been freed from this miserable place later show up again for some stupid act.
Al
To: Cajun in Ky.
Grew up in Oak Grove and Forrest. Went to High School in Forrest. Played High School basket ball all over the North part of the state except the area West of Monroe. Worked in Bastrop, Monroe and Ruston. My Grandparents on my mother's side lived in Lake Providence. My mother moved back with her parents after my Dad died and spent the next 15-20 years in Lake Providence. I have one brother living in Rayville now. I have one sister living in Olive Branch, MS just south of Memphis.
I was visiting Angola from 1950 thru the mid seventies. The only thing I don't remember are the horses. I don't know if you know this, but Angola had the most powerful 2-way radio system in the state. You should have been in the radio room with Daddy during the end of the week and hear all the radio talk from the different police radio operators who were mostly Cajun and 100% Tigers talking, betting, yelling and in general jabbering about "dem tigers sat night". When Billy Cannon beat Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium, It is a wonder that they did not burn out all the radios in the state. If the convicts had been smart, they would have all tried for a break on Sat. night and they probably would not have been missed until Thursday. My Aunt was in charge of the Women's camp and I will not take time to tell you all the stories about how many clever ways the men found to sneak into the women's camp, but there were many. They even fired a warden for providing one of women of the night a private room. My second cousin was Warden and he got fired for fighting chickens at his residence. Wow: What a place!
Mary
Welcome to you Al, I'm looking forward to reading more of your words of wisdom. Happy Easter to you and everybody.
Al
Hi Mary,
Thanks for the welcome. I feel a kindred spirit with you and your forum, having been raised on a farm in Louisiana. Keep up the very interesting posting. You do a great job!
texaspampas
Al's Nuggets of Wisdom
Hi, Al,
This is a great group - welcome! I'm a life-long Texan but have been to all parts of Louisana. Also went with my husband to Pittsburgh when he was working in Cambridge, Ohio, a delightful little town! Also have driven from New York City westward passing through his parents' home towns of Sykesville, once a mining town, I think. You are right, Pennsylvania is a beautiful state.
I also agree that treating people with kindness shows the love that Christ would have us impart.
As far as self-supporting prisons, the one near Sugar Land, southwest of Houston, was once such a prison. You could see the prisoners in the fields, and they raised all their own vegetables - I'm not sure about all their meat, but it's possible.
CajuninKy
How bout dem tigers!!!
Hi Al. How have you been? We are well and as busy as a one armed paper hanger. But not too busy to be celebrating the upcoming BCS championship game in January. Tigers vs Ohio. The tigers have had a banner season and can really be proud of their work this year. I like Les Miles. He is a character and he is not afraid to trust the abilities of his players. He has called some plays that would have either made him a hero or a goat and at times he has ended up being both. But in my mind it makes him a coach from the old school. I like him a lot.
Al
Hi Cajun: Hope you are not too busy to take time to watch the big game. This has been a great year for Tiger fans. The only thing to not be happy about are the losses in overtime. If the defense had not been injured, I think it would have been different. In retrospect, it did not matter if they lost since you can't do any better than to be able to play for the National Championship. The game will be tough to win since Ohio State has never won a game from an SEC opponent, and further, Florida made them look so weak last year. I feel that LSU will win, but I think Ohio State will give it their best shot.
Re: Les Miles. I think he is a class act. I think you are exactly right in how he has shown his confidence in the players. I think his very open and honest approach to things will attract the best players in the long term. For the sake of the coach, I hope he wins the National Championship and gets the increase in pay that I think he deserves. If Alabama can do it, so can LSU. I hope our next conversation will be to talk about our victory over the Ohio boys. Remember, a Buckeye is nothing but a nut.
