Monday, February 7, 2011

I LOVE U KIMBERLY

Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, Tamron 28-80 lens @ 28mm, ISO 100, 3 Exposure HDR @ f/11
  Right on Highway 411 South in Madisonville, TN is the remnants of what used to be a drive-in theater. The old screen is really the only landmark from the drive in that is still standing.  Despite the weathered facade, the old screen is still in good shape.
  Right now the old screen is only used like a billboard for some one's expressed love for Kimberly, whomever she may be.
  The remains of a cement slab in the foreground can only be where the building stood that housed the projection equipment.  The slab sits directly in front of the screen and was actually smaller than most of those main buildings that I have seen before at drive-ins that usually have concessions and rest rooms in them as well.
  This scene really strikes at my heart strings.  My dad was not fond of watching movies in an indoor theater.  It seemed like whenever we went to see a movie, it was at the drive-in.  Dad liked to be able to sit comfortably in his car, smoke his cigarettes if he wanted, drink coffee from a thermos, and eat whatever we packed from the house and brought with us. Despite our moaning and groaning from the back seat, where we struggled to find a clear view of the screen, this was his favorite place to watch a movie other than his recliner at home.
  Since we moved over to East Tennessee, we have found a nice little drive-in in Etowah, TN that on Sunday nights offers $10 a car load. We park on the front row and Jocy enjoys the playground equipment while we throw a football and wait for the sun to down and the movie to stop. It is much different than when we were kids. We listen to the movie over the radio instead of those crackly old speaker boxes. We carry lawn chairs and a cooler full of snacks and drinks. It is really a fun time other than having to get up and go to work the next day.
  I often wonder what this old drive-in was like and when it stopped operating. It and the one we go to in Etowah will always remind me of Dad and us going to the drive-in when I was a kid.

4 comments:

  1. This is such a great blog and photo today Jerry, I am blown away. In 1978 my older cousin took me and my other cousin out to the drive-in one night. He had just picked up his brand new 1978 LT-1 Camaro, I'll never forget that car. So there we were, the 3 guys in this brand spankin' new Camaro watching this really wild new sci-fi movie, Star Wars.... what a great memory. I am a man of tradition for sure, my friend, your blog and photo tonight really resonated with me. Great great stuff. :)

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  2. Toad I appreciate that very much. It's amazing, I have driven by this landmark every day for the past 11 years and yesterday it finally caught my eye. So glad it grabbed you so well. Thanks.

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  3. The stories you and your brother tell about your Dad are really great.

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  4. Thanks, Mark. It's wild how many things make me think of him and the stories that are attached to the thoughts. He was a great man.

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