From childhood growing up in a Northeast Georgia valley, I walked trails to the spring near the house and the trail leading to the house of Grandparents Jesse and Lela Dickerson Justus. Other trails led to homes of relatives and neighbors living up and down the valley. Long trails passed over gaps in the surrounding mountain ranges to other valleys in Rabun County, Georgia.
Grandparents Dock and Effie Welborn Dickerson lived on Bridge Creek settlement about 5 miles as the crow flies through gaps in two ranges. Once during WW II while my dad, Neal Justus, was off on defense work, my mother Durell with a six-month-old baby and I walked a mountain trail to spend the weekend with these wonderful grandparents. I was proud to lead the way and help carry the latest baby, Jackie.
In performing farm chores, working in the garden and hauling wood in from the forest, more walking was involved. Hunting and fishing involved more walking through fields and woods and along streams. Thus, when later I entered the Air Force at age 19, I was able from the first to meet the demands of military training and service.
In the following 22 years I walked many miles in many areas on assignments crisscrossing the USA from Alabama to Ohio, Texas, Colorado and so on. In three years in Colorado I walked trout streams and climbed one of the highest of the mountain peaks near an old mining town called Cripple Creek.
In my first war I had a tour in Korea that gave me a chance to climb some barren slopes there. Ons
a three-year tour on Luzon Island I stood on mountains in the northern part and walked beaches and rugged lava flows along the coast.
After retiring from the Air Force, I was blessed to take 14 journeys to camp and fish in Wyoming.
By remaining active and also taking exercises in local gyms I’ve remained strong, especially in my lungs, arms and legs, which now I’m glad military service taught me was so valuable.
It is time now to go walk by the Old Clarkesville Mill, which is so convenient to two places I exercise in: Richard’s Fitness and Main Street Gym. My motto: “Take a Walk to Meet the Sunrise.”
