Pool Party

3rd August 2013

Anne and I headed to Main Street and to our favourite diner – The Daily Grind – for a late breakfast. And as this was going to be our last breakfast I went for it – steak and eggs. After 6 weeks of being faced with multiple choice when ordering anything I had it off pat “Steak rare, eggs sunny side up and sour dough toast. And ice tea unsweet.” (The egg multiple choices are the worst for us Brits. Sunny side up I get but “Over easy”? And I believe “Easy over”. So much easier to have fried, poached or scrambled.)

After breakfast we had a stroll around the town as I wanted to take some final photos of this quintessential American small town. It is a lovely little town. And I really hope the main street keeps its shops and restaurants. Without them Mooresville will become just another collection of strip malls like so many other American town and cities. (Though so many British town and cities have headed the same way.)

Late this afternoon we headed off to the annual Methodist Men’s Pool Party held at a friend’s house. Anne, Tom and I had been invited over early for a quiet dip in the pool before everyone else arrived and on a hot day (high 80s F) it was most welcome.

We had a lovely fun time. Some nice food (no barbecue – just hot dogs, burgers and slow cooked beef brisket) and good company. It was a lovely way to start the process of saying good bye to our new friends who mean so much to us.

Late in the afternoon I was told that the men were going to gather poolside for a photo. When I was told to stand in the front in the centre of the group, and one friend patted me down to make sure I had nothing of value in my swim shorts pockets, I knew what was coming next.

And despite protesting that I was a Methodist not a Baptist I was well and truly dunked. The things they do to visiting pastors on Saturday evenings: either forcing them to dance or else trying to drown them.

This evening, one of the men responsible for the near drowning asked me what had been the biggest surprise. And I said the genuine hospitality of the people. Although I’d heard the South always claims to be welcoming I did wonder whether it would be true. Well in our experience it is true.

So tomorrow marks the end of the most amazing six weeks. I have had the most wonderful experience. I have learned so much and met such terrific people. Someone said to me earlier “I expect you’re missing home and looking forward to returning to England.” I suppose I should be feeling that way. But with my wife and son here with me I feel at home here. It will be good to be home of course but it’s going to be hard to leave this wonderful place and these wonderful people behind.

On the plus side, the youth director is already talking about bringing a group to the UK in 2015. And I so hope that comes off. I certainly don’t want to lose touch with these lovely people. And I like to think in 2 or 3 years’ time we’ll be able to visit. Who knows, maybe they’ll want a guest preacher for some occasion?