Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 12

My GEORGIA

By Matt Longino

Scenic routes through
Anytown, Ga.

I

hate interstates. I don't have anything against the fine
people who built them or maintain them; I just find
them boring to drive on. There's nothing to look at!
Unless you want to count the cars, billboards or those
pesky speed-limit signs.
Unfortunately, I have to drive on interstates every day
for work. Sometimes, I make it all the way to work and have
no memory of how I actually got there. About this time, an
employee at the doughnut shop comes out and tells me that I,
in fact, don't work there and should probably move along. So
I go back out to the interstate and try again. Also, I call in to
work and let them know I'll be late again.
So what do I do to combat this? I take back roads every
chance I get. If I can find an alternate route to our destination,
I take it, no matter how much it adds to our travel time.
Oftentimes, with the weekend coming, my wife will say:
"Hey, why don't we take a quick trip down to Jekyll Island? I've
mapped it out, and it will only take one hour and 45 minutes to
get there!"
I'll pick up my phone, do a few quick calculations and
reply: "That's weird. I just mapped it out, and it says it will take
four hours and 23 minutes ..."
She will look at me, and we will both have a good
laugh. Then she will quietly go to our bedroom and (I suspect)
meticulously push tiny pins into a voodoo doll that looks just
like me-most likely into the eyes so I can't be in charge of
driving anymore.

Johnny Washington of Glennville painted this mural on the side
of a shed in Bellville.

12

Georgia Magazine

October 2020

But seriously, I love
these back roads.
There's so much
to look at.

Matt Longino's back-road adventures lead him to discover interesting
things, such as this sign for a thrift store in Claxton.

But seriously, I love these back roads. There's so much
to look at. Mostly, I'm looking for small towns and what's in
them. Tiny shops, turn-of-the-century train depots, quaint old
churches-complete with their spooky cemeteries-and, of
course, the people. It's great fun trying to figure out who they are
and where they might be going.
I often play the "wave game" with my children. It's simple
enough: We see a person and wave to him or her, trying to
solicit a wave back. If you receive the most "waves back," you
get an ice cream! You can't imagine the smiles on their faces as
we play this game-and the smiles upon the folks' faces as they
wave back. It reminds me of a simpler time, when time seemed
to move slower and waves and "hellos" were more abundant.
I love small towns.
So I will continue driving on these back roads as long as I
can-or until my wife's voodoo doll starts working. If you see
me, please come out and wave; I'll wave back. Plus, I'll win an
ice cream.
Matt Longino and his family live in Ellabell and really like
ice cream. They are members of Reidsville-based Canoochee
Electric Membership Corp.
To submit a My Georgia story, send the essay (no more than 500 words)
and 300-dpi digital photos by email to mygeorgia@georgiaemc.com
or by mail to the address listed on page 6. A self-addressed, stamped
envelope must be included for photos to be returned. Published essays
pay $100. Georgia Magazine reserves the right to edit submitted pieces.



Georgia Magazine - October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2020

Contents
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - Intro
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - Cover1
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - Cover2
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - Contents
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 4
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 5
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 6
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 7
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 8
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 9
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 10
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 11
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 12
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 13
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 14
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 15
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 16
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 17
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 18
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 19
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 20
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 21
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 22
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 23
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 24
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 25
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 26
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 27
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 28
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 29
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 30
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 31
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 32
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 33
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 34
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 35
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 36
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 37
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 38
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - Cover3
Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - Cover4
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