Westgate Flashback

I had a flashback one day recently in a meeting. Right after lunch, I grabbed a handful of mixed nuts: peanuts, pecans, and cashews. When I looked down and saw only half a cashew left, I remembered the Westgate shopping center, a very early mall (if you could have called it that) with such famous anchor stores as Newberry's. Westgate had a little stand that sold nuts, and it came flying back to me that they sold warm cashews, which I loved. it seems like we stopped there every time we went to Westgate, but I bet we only did it once or twice.

I was a kid then, and the shopping center was small and Macon was never very crowded. Life is good to me now, but it was good and simple back then, at least to me. The picture I remembered was my mom, Rhonda, and me walking into that shopping center. I miss that memory, but I'm glad I have it.

I then thought about the peanuts. There was a Dairy Queen on Pio Nono Avenue near the bank. That's where I first remember loving chocolate dipped cones and later the Peanut Buster Parfait. Those were the days before Blizzards. I remember I used to think this: "When I grow up and get on my own, I'm going to go to Dairy Queen every day! I still wish I could -- especially to the old fashioned one with the screen door order pick-up slots.

And then there were pecans in the mix. Two memories of pecans. First, pecan pie. I love it, love it, love it. Plain or a la mode. Cold or warm. Doesn't matter. I love it. And secondly, prayer. My mom tells a story about my early prayer -- to have pecans grow on a "little stick of a tree outside our house (Alfred Drive?). I prayed. They appeared. Mom was surprised. I still don't know if it's true. But I love that memory -- the faith of a little child -- and it still fuels my prayers today.