The Village and Beyond
Memoirs of a Cotton Mill Boy
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
From opening story : "In the months of the year when al the windows were open, always open, to bring in the coolness of night time, the village was quiet, except for the constant "buzz" of the mill and the whirl of traffic passing. The lonesome cry of a cat, the mean bark of a dog, the slamming of a door someplace or some one talking in a bed in another room, might punctuate the deep quiet. Before sleep came, the music of the village intrigued me. The freewheeling mind of the boy I was,, created space for me to hear, discern and catalog sounds. Quietness was a strange, wonderful gift of the night and I can still open that gift in my memory today. If the wind was blowing the scrap of a tree limb against the house added its "coda". There were times when the quietness was disturbed by the roll of distant thunder which made me uneasy or perhaps it was the unexplainable "crink" of the house settling on its foundation of brick pillars. It could also be disturbed by the ultra soft sound of my body making noises as the organs went about their own lives inside me."
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About the Book
In a neighborhood jammed with look-alike clapboard houses in a South Carolina Cotton mill village, author William Hale grew up as an inquisitive boy who climbed trees, played sandlot baseball, and learned his greatest life lessons from unexpected places. Amid the darkness of the Great Depression, Hale was never without food, love, or a little bit of sparkle from Azzie, a washwoman with a broad smile, big voice, and never-ending encouragement for little Hale. With humor, sensitivity, and candor, Hale delves deeply into the delicate fabric of life as he details experiences derived from a distinctive coming-of-age journey full of fun, challenges, and timeless messages. As he learned to love “winnie” soup, whiled away the hours on the porch swing, and discovered that time is the greatest healer of all, Hale details how he grew from boy into man and realized the impact of his choices that eventually led him in a different direction. The Village and Beyond offers one man’s poignant reflections on life as he revels in the powerful world of the human spirit and discovers that he will never be without questions.
About the Author
William Hale, now in his ninth decade, has been a drum major of an army band, teacher, school administrator, professor, television executive, writer, husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He holds degrees from Furman University, the University of South Carolina, and Florida State University and has also been a nationally sought-after speaker and seminar leader in the emerging field of human awareness. He lives in Athens, Georgia, with his wife, Helen, where he enjoys reading, volunteering, and spending time with his family.