Ran to see my girl most nights. Twelve miles each way. It took about two hours each way. Walked 100 paces and ran a hundred. Some nights I trotted all the way . I guess that would be called jogging today. Needless to say I had a lot of excuses for not having my homework done on school nights. I was the county track star my senior year in high school. Don't know whether I could have but I'd have been willing to run twice that far. She married me too, I guess its hard for a girl to refuse a guy with that much energy. Doug

Doug Said: >Ran to see my girl most nights. Twelve miles each way. It took about two hours each way. Walked 100 paces and ran a hundred. Some nights I trotted<< Well...... I was working third shift in the Cotton Mills in Danville, Va. when I was courtin' a girl who lived Twelve Miles out of town... I didn't have a car so I would hitchhike or ride the bus out to her house then I would catch a bus to my job at eleven at night.. One night I lingered a bit too long and missed the bus.. so I thought I would get out on the road and catch a ride into Danville.. Very few cars came by and none stopped... so I started walking.. thinking surely I would get a ride shortly.. still No Ride.. I walked...and walked..until I got sleepy and laid down in a yard along the road.. closed my eyes a few minutes and started walking again.... everything was very quiet.. and I heard the tinkling of glass over in the woods.. I knew it must be someone loading whiskey.. and I knew moonshiners didn't like anyone around when they were involved in such activities... so I walked faster for a spell... finally, about daylight, I got to a bus stop in Danville.. I caught a bus and rode right on past the mill where I worked.. it was too late to go to work.... so I went on home and went to bed.. That was the longest Twelve Miles I have ever traveled.. But I married that girl too!! Another True story...... G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.