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The late Johnny Cash had a hit song back in 1996 in which he claimed to have been everywhere, man! He mentioned 92 cities across the United States that he had visited. He even mentioned Opelika, my hometown since 2007. In 2022, Mike Schmidt visited all 92 cities listed in the song. He made a YouTube video with signs from all 92 towns flashing by while Cash’s song played. The Opelika sign was the Opelika Sportsplex, where I play racquetball and pickleball. I have not visited all of Cash’s cities, and probably never will, but I do think the idea is pretty cool. 

Unlike Mr. Cash, I have not been everywhere, but I am working on it. I have always loved to travel. After I retired, I ramped it up a little. After Jean retired, we ramped a little more. I love to go places where I’ve never been. Jean and I have been working on a bucket list item of visiting every state in our nation before we move on to heaven. We’ve never seen heaven either. We have made plans to go there, we just don’t know when.  

I currently lack three more states. I plan to knock off one more of them this summer. While I do love to see new sites, sometimes there is something special about going back where we’ve already been. Last week we went back to Southaven, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee. Southaven is a neighboring suburb of Memphis. We lived in Southaven from 1998 to 2007. During those years, I served as pastor at Gracewood Baptist Church there. It was while I served there that I created my storytelling, singing, humorous character that I call Bro. Billy Bob. Performing as Bro. Billy Bob has taken me to more new places than I ever imagined, but what an honor and treat to be invited back to perform at Gracewood last week. 

Gracewood was formed when Graceland Baptist Church relocated from Memphis to Southaven and merged with Summerwood Baptist Church there. Since the Graceland church had been just around the corner from Elvis’ Graceland, I thought it only fitting that Jean and I go back there too. No, in spite of what some may say, we did not see Elvis there. Graceland is currently hosting a Pompeii exhibition, so we decided to go back there too…well, kind of. We had never been to the Pompeii exhibition, but back in 2019 we did visit Italy and toured the ruins of Pompeii. The exhibition has numerous artifacts from Pompeii, as well as several videos about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. We were able to relive our Pompeii visit, plus we saw artifacts we had not seen and learned things we didn’t hear when we actually visited Pompeii. Then our visit back at Gracewood was most enjoyable. Returning as Billy Bob to his beginning place was a blast, as was visiting with quite a few old friends there. 

Ironically, I’ll go back to perform as Bro. Billy Bob at another church where I previously served. I was pastor of White Spring Baptist Church, in Rainbow City, Alabama, from 1989 to 1998. Bro. Billy Bob did not exist back then, but I have been back to him several times since. Once again that will be a sweet reunion time with old friends and a get acquainted time with new ones. 

When summer comes, we’ll be on the long road again. This one will be a combo trip of new and old. It’s back to South Dakota and hello to North Dakota. Maybe we will see you out there.