Races i remember

 There are races I remember

John Clare Stokes 

Over the years I have occasionally visited the place of one of my most memorable races. Last year this time on our way back from Mississippi we detoured off I-10 monotony to the wonderfully landscaped West Washington US90 to Monticello and then down Waters Street between the Methodist Church my father pastored and the Jefferson County Elementary where I was a new third grader from Sopchoppy. We turned off Waters to the no trespassing road behind what was once the PE building. I went back to the day the coach announced today we are going to determine the fastest third grader. We all knew it was going to be Jimmy Haines, the champion from first and second grade.

We all lined up along the P.E.building and the instructions were to the guardrail, touch it  and back up the hill. At the blast of the whistle, we all, boys and girls, set out in a tangle downhill. As expected, Jimmy reached the turn around first, but not far behind, the new boy from Sopchoppy.

About half way up the hill, the new kid surged ahead and handily won the honor of fastest runner in third grade. It was a door opener for the shy boy as now he was suddenly wanted on the team, in the group, at the lunchroom table.

The boy from Sopchoppy won few races over his running career, but he was certainly stoked to have won this one.