ALot

About the Book

My friend the late Hilton Yow and I talked often, mostly about sports, his beloved daughters, his “really bad hip,” and religion. Hilton was a strong “born again.” My dad was a Southern Baptist Minister. Hilton got my attention on TV. While channel-hopping, I spied him, next in line to be “healed.” The would-be “healer” called Hilton up. He put it like this: “Come on up, sir, and tell us what is wrong.” I’m thinking “hip” all the way. But just as Hilton started to speak, the healer admonished my friend, “No, don’t say anything. I’ll tell you where it is!” My initial thought was that that was a little risky, even for a healer. Without a word from Hilton, the reverend began to trace with his forefinger parts of Hilton’s lower face, his neck, and his upper shoulders. He looked confidently at Hilton and suggested, “I’m getting it, aren’t I?” Hilton looked chagrined yet still hopeful, adding this, his only comment: “Well, no. But go ahead and get all of it while you are in there!” My first attempt at writing a book (Play Is Where Life Is [2007]) included a variation of this true story. But I didn’t get it “all.” All—this time includes parts of Play Is Where Life Is that bear repeating. And large portions of a blog (www.tomparham.wordpress.com), which has nearly one hundred articles on a variety of subjects. With the help of Johnnie “Bonehead” Dennis, I produced Nearly Fifty in 2013. A coffee-table–styled book, I tried to portray almost fifty years of friendship among a group of buddies who held the first of these gatherings with a “Super Bowl party,” the first Super Bowl. We haven’t missed a year, Classic Americana and friendship. Included is a “history” in text and photos. I have to apologize for the blog guide. I tried to set it up myself, and that didn’t work too well. The best I can offer is that all of the articles can eventually be found on the blog. In this book, I put the blog articles used in the text in the text order they are used. Additional blog articles that seemed appropriate for this book then appear as a group at the end of the text. That confuses even the author. Now to piss you off. There are two parts (A and B) that are new. Part A deals with “serious stuff,” while Part B is much lighter and hopefully “fun stuff.” The old coach in me couldn't resist several new tennis thoughts. As well as considerable classic information some may not have seen. Getting it all is tough work. Some are serious as a heart attack. Some are trivial. No one will get it all. Or like it all, but “you may not like all my music, but stay with me. I’ll find you” (Ray Charles).

About the Author

Tom Parham, a lifelong North Carolinian, retired from a career of teaching and coaching in 2004. As a college tennis coach, Parham amassed a record of 597 wins and 195 losses and has been inducted into ten athletic halls of fame. His teams won three national championships, and he was selected National Tennis Coach of the Year four times. A professor emeritus at Elon, Parham was awarded the Elon Medallion, the University’s highest honor, in 2004. He served as an athletic director at Atlantic Christian College and as associate athletic director at Elon University. Parham received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 1979. He resides with his wife, Margaret, in Emerald Isle, North Carolina.