THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 19, 1995 TAG: 9503170162
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Susie Stoughton
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Oh, for an orange tree in my yard.
I don't need a whole grove, just one tree,
My mother spoiled us recently while we were visiting her in sunny, central, Florida - the sweet aroma of orange blossoms clinging to the breeze. Three trees in her back yard were dotted with round, plump fruit, somewhat splotchy rather than scrubbed sterile like the ones in the grocery stores.
Each morning we'd sip a glass of fresh-squeezed, full-bodied juice with chunks of pulp floating in it and tasting nothing like anything that comes from a carton or bottle.
It's a delight you just can't enjoy from four states away.
But I could hardly tell from reading the newspaper there that I had left home. Headline stories included a drive-by shooting at a local McDonald's, two teenagers killed in a wreck, neighbors protesting a prison expansion, officials debating merits of charter schools.
Floridians have many of our problems - and more - without the charm of the Old Dominion. My mother, who grew up in the small town in the middle of citrus groves and phosphate mines, can't understand why I don't move to the Sunshine State.
Sure, it would be nice to be closer to family, but we manage to visit back and forth a couple of times a year. As much as I dislike bitter cold, I'd miss our change of seasons. I'd long for the gently rolling terrain, the variety of trees and the lush peanut fields of western Tidewater.
And I'd miss the people who make coming home a special delight. Like my co-workers who left a homemade ``Welcome Home'' picture on my desk - with a note at the bottom, ``Now get to work.''
I'd soon be homesick for our many friends in Franklin and Suffolk, most of whom I don't get to see very often but at least I know they're around. I enjoy knowing people I meet on the street and stopping by the local drug stores - Nansemond in Suffolk or Parker's in Franklin - for a delicious chicken salad sandwich and a warm, friendly smile from the cook.
I love buying hot, roasted peanuts from C.O. Blevins at the Peanut Retail Store on West Washington Street in Suffolk or a Fred's club sandwich from Fred Rabil at Fred's on Main Street in Franklin. Both of them always remember my name, no matter how long it's been since my last visit.
I even enjoy grocery shopping, chatting with the cashiers - probably the people I see most often. One of my favorites is a gal named Marsha who works at Farm Fresh on North Main Street. No one can get through her check-out line without smiling. Most of the time I'm laughing when I leave.
There are plenty of people in this part of the world who spread sunshine - minus the vitamin C - to all those around them.
There's Lee Cross, a 17-year-old Nansemond-Suffolk Academy junior and a terrific role model. He's a counselor at the Suffolk YMCA, working with youngsters in sessions on values. And he helps with younger children at Suffolk Presbyterian Church, occasionally even preaching a children's sermon.
Dianne Stallings, who works in the Southampton County Circuit Court clerk's office, radiates sunshine. She must have a permanent smile across her face. You may have seen her if you've bought a hunting or fishing license, gotten married or researched any legal records.
Beverly Mayfield, a mental health coordinator for Family Services in Franklin, also wears a beautiful smile. She and her husband, Keith, live in Suffolk with their four children and often a host of foster kids. She manages to juggle all sorts of jobs and still smile.
Stuart Smither, the attendant at the city parking lot where our employees have parking spaces, is another cheer-'em-upper. Every day, he waves and smiles as we drive out, adding a spark to our day.
With sunshine like all of that, who needs Florida? Well, I'm sure I'll go back for another visit and some more of that delicious juice sometime soon. by CNB