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Anonymous
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Yesterday I rode down to take photo of the old jail building at Athens. It's the only remaining structure of what was the country seat of Monroe county in the 1840's. On the way I had to pass the house of Barbara Howell, a black lady who worked at the bank I use until she was promoted to the main bank, and it reminded me of something that happened a few years ago.
Barbara was very timid when she started working at the bank and would only ask the necessary questions. I kinda picked on her when I went to the bank on pay days until she started talking to me but it was several months before she did. About five years ago my wife and I were rambling around one Saturday and saw a yard/garage sale. She wanted to stop so we pulled off, walked up to where the yard sale stuff was and one of the ladies having the sale was Barbara. She smiled and said hello, I returned it but added a smart @ss remark. The other ladies didn't know me and immediately got their dander up. Barbara laughed and told them I was just kidding, not get upset, and then she said, "This is Johnny Brown. He's my best customer." My wife didn't know her from Adam and almost got whiplash she jerked her head around so fast. I very quickly went over to her and explained Barbara worked at the bank and was the lady who deposited my check every week. She bought it, kinda, but was ready to go right then. She stopped by the bank early the next week to use William Teller (she said) and saw Barbara inside so all was well.
The next payday the bank had pretty big crowd in the teller lines. I was in the line of the teller next to Barbara and when I got to the window Barbara turned and told her that my wife and I had come to her yard sale. I said, "Yea, we did but you were responsible for my wife getting whiplash and me almost getting a butt kicking." She asked how and I said, "You told the other ladies I was your best customer, and since my wife had no idea what business you were in you know exactly what she thought." Everyone in the bank heard, turned to look at her and a couple of elderly ladies dropped their mouths open. That's the first, and only, time I've seen a black person turn bright red.<center><img src="http://www.jb-ms.com/images/Other/athensjail.jpg" border=1></center>This is the old jail. It was built in the mid 1840's by Joshua Toomes for $500 and was donated to the county historical society a few years ago. It's gradually being restored as funds become available.
JB
Barbara was very timid when she started working at the bank and would only ask the necessary questions. I kinda picked on her when I went to the bank on pay days until she started talking to me but it was several months before she did. About five years ago my wife and I were rambling around one Saturday and saw a yard/garage sale. She wanted to stop so we pulled off, walked up to where the yard sale stuff was and one of the ladies having the sale was Barbara. She smiled and said hello, I returned it but added a smart @ss remark. The other ladies didn't know me and immediately got their dander up. Barbara laughed and told them I was just kidding, not get upset, and then she said, "This is Johnny Brown. He's my best customer." My wife didn't know her from Adam and almost got whiplash she jerked her head around so fast. I very quickly went over to her and explained Barbara worked at the bank and was the lady who deposited my check every week. She bought it, kinda, but was ready to go right then. She stopped by the bank early the next week to use William Teller (she said) and saw Barbara inside so all was well.
The next payday the bank had pretty big crowd in the teller lines. I was in the line of the teller next to Barbara and when I got to the window Barbara turned and told her that my wife and I had come to her yard sale. I said, "Yea, we did but you were responsible for my wife getting whiplash and me almost getting a butt kicking." She asked how and I said, "You told the other ladies I was your best customer, and since my wife had no idea what business you were in you know exactly what she thought." Everyone in the bank heard, turned to look at her and a couple of elderly ladies dropped their mouths open. That's the first, and only, time I've seen a black person turn bright red.<center><img src="http://www.jb-ms.com/images/Other/athensjail.jpg" border=1></center>This is the old jail. It was built in the mid 1840's by Joshua Toomes for $500 and was donated to the county historical society a few years ago. It's gradually being restored as funds become available.
JB
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