"Rick" delivered newspapers when we were in school. He had an early morning route. By the time we would see him in class at DHS, he had already been up and working for hours. He never complained and he was always jovial and personable. He seemed to take the time to know at least a little about everyone. He knew I was into astronomy -- star gazing, etc.-- and he would report to me that he had seen a meteor shower or something while delivering papers. Once he told me, "Man, Billy, there were so many meteors falling I thought they were going to hit me in the head!" After graduation, I think it was 1972, I was at my grandmother's and we turned on the 10 o'clock news and they announced that Rick and his dad had died in a car wreck on Gray Lynn drive in Donelson. It was just one of those moments when something inside you says, "no."
This is a hard one. Ricky and I camped out, built treehouses, swam in all the creeks in our neighborhood ,went on bicycle trips and played ball in my field for years. The lake came in and wiped our way of life out. I had to move and build another house on what land we had left. Ricky had to move to Donelson. When I see the movie"STAND BY ME" I think of Ricky.
You better believe it! Did you and Ricky walk up and down the railroad tracks, too? Dan DeGroat and I did. Just like in the movie. We also watched Percy Priest Dam being built. I once hunted squirrels on the land that is now the lake. Those were good days. I'm glad you and Ricky shared them together.
Billy Gray Johnson
"Rick" delivered newspapers when we were in school. He had an early morning route. By the time we would see him in class at DHS, he had already been up and working for hours. He never complained and he was always jovial and personable. He seemed to take the time to know at least a little about everyone. He knew I was into astronomy -- star gazing, etc.-- and he would report to me that he had seen a meteor shower or something while delivering papers. Once he told me, "Man, Billy, there were so many meteors falling I thought they were going to hit me in the head!" After graduation, I think it was 1972, I was at my grandmother's and we turned on the 10 o'clock news and they announced that Rick and his dad had died in a car wreck on Gray Lynn drive in Donelson. It was just one of those moments when something inside you says, "no."Kenneth Cook
This is a hard one. Ricky and I camped out, built treehouses, swam in all the creeks in our neighborhood ,went on bicycle trips and played ball in my field for years. The lake came in and wiped our way of life out. I had to move and build another house on what land we had left. Ricky had to move to Donelson. When I see the movie"STAND BY ME" I think of Ricky.Billy Gray Johnson
Kenny,You better believe it! Did you and Ricky walk up and down the railroad tracks, too? Dan DeGroat and I did. Just like in the movie. We also watched Percy Priest Dam being built. I once hunted squirrels on the land that is now the lake. Those were good days. I'm glad you and Ricky shared them together.
billy