Georgia on My Mind

I did not expect Milledgeville, Georgia, to be such a young, hopping town. In Flannery’s time, she described it as so remote that it can be reached, she wrote, “only by bus or by buzzard” (A Literary Guide to Flannery O’Connor’s Georgia by Sarah Gordon, page 21). But our experience of the town showed us it is very much thriving today, even while it has preserved the history and even businesses of yesteryear. Thanks in part to the legacy of Georgia College & State University, I think there is a youthful vibe to this place, amidst its rich cultural heritage.

Young guitarists were plucking out hill billy, country songs at Buffingtons restaurant downtown, while hipsters were hanging out with their laptops and sipping drinks at a trendy café called Blackbird Coffee. A spunky and energetic, young tour guide at Andalusia Farm gave us a wonderful tour of Flannery O'Connor's house, bringing us up close and personal with Flannery. A delightful student working at Russel Library Museum at GCSW chatted with us for quite some time after we’d paid our respects to the Flannery O’Connor exhibit. The people are friendly and social and have time to talk. 

Yes, there is something alive about this place. Tucked in the heart of Georgia, an old city of “capitals, columns and culture,” it has kept its southern charm to this day.

 

 

 

I will miss you, Georgia, and I've decided to carry a little piece of you home in my heart.