One of the best Christmas gifts I received this year were DVD sets of old Gene Autry and Roy Rogers movies. When I started watching them, a weird thing happened; I was 11 or 12 years old again, and I could almost smell the fresh popcorn of the Carolina Theater.

But in just a few minutes after Gene rode in on Champion, I noticed something different. The white blaze on the horse’s face was narrow. I said to my wife, “Something is different about Champion. His blaze was much wider when I watched Gene’s movies years ago.”

Then the next movie I watched showed Champion’s face with the wide blaze I remembered that extended over both eyes. It so bothered me that I went to the computer and Googled “Gene Autry’s horse.” Sure enough, they were not the same horse. If I had realized that when I was a child, it would have destroyed my cowboy fantasies and I might have stopped watching cowboy 
movies.

I liked Roy Rogers, too, and his horse, Trigger, so much that I named my walker after the horse. So while I was Googling, I checked on Trigger.

Guess what. Both Gene Autry and Roy Rogers used three horses – two for the movies and one that went on tours with them. If you already knew that, I’m glad you didn’t tell me. Those movies became what I like to call Keepers Of Our Good Times.

I was not available when Lewis Turner called the other evening, so he left a message for me if I was the guy who wrote a column for the Rocky Mount Telegram. I don’t personally know Lewis Turner, but I’m glad he reads the column. Many people call me because I am a hunting education and safety instructor. I called him back at first opportunity.

Lewis had read a column I wrote about the big snow here in 1948, and he remembered it and wanted to talk about it. He and I may be about the same age, because he was a child then, too. He also knew that I like to hunt and he remembered taking a .22-caliber rifle out into that snow to shoot at birds.

We talked for a few minutes about things of our childhood. “Those were good times,” he said. I agreed that particular snow was one Keeper Of Our Good Times.

There are many Keepers Of Our Good Times – people, places and events – that are going or are already gone like those Saturday cowboy movies at the Carolina Theater. You have Keepers Of Your Good Times, also. Some Keepers I can mention include the stone wall at Stonewall Manor and Battle Park, which are still here and which hold many of my childhood good times. Another is the old Benvenue School, and it is gone.

My old neighborhood is still there, although it is a far cry from what it was when I lived there. Many of the people who lived there are now gone, but some of those who remain impacted my life in many, many ways. They are Keepers.

Now a new highway is being cut through the neighborhood, and the area is undergoing other big changes. There is more change on the way, and some folks believe that it must be done because it will be good for business growth and residential expansion.

I have lived in larger cities but I am not a big-city guy. I still have small-town ways. So, before I ride off into the sunset along with Gene and Roy, I want somebody to assure me that the Rocky Mount area will never be as big and busy as the Raleigh Triangle area and lose its small town atmosphere, along with all of the Keepers Of Our Good Times – please!

Bill Stancil is a freelance writer and former staff member of the Rocky Mount Telegram.

Bill Stancil