From the Heart of the Delta:
A Soul Mates Love Letter
Dear Greenwood Soul Mates,
Where do I begin? Just about a month into my job as Senior Writer, I started on a soulful journey to meet a group of individuals who are the heart and soul of Greenwood, Mississippi – the Soul Mates. In a time where the world’s attention span is at an all-time low, once a month, I get to experience a refreshing hour or hour and 45 minutes (I’m talking to you, Cyndi Long), to dive into someone’s life, both personal and professional. And within 30 seconds of conversation with any of them, I immediately start to understand their significance to family, friends and the betterment of Greenwood.
From my first interview with Lisa Cookston, Executive Director of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, I became enamored with Greenwood and the surrounding Delta. I went to Ole Miss, so I’m no stranger to North Mississippi or anything like that, but to listen to people speak so passionately about their town and region, it’s palpable and contagious. So much so that I decided to visit Greenwood the weekend of “Que on the Yazoo” and meet many of the folks I interviewed and visit the places they all talk about with so much conviction and love.
In the capable and appropriate hands of Ashley Farmer, the Executive Director of Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau and her jovial husband Steve Farmer, better known as “Sleepy Steve,” I experienced the best Greenwood had to offer. And while I enjoyed plenty of fun and a boatload of laughs, I couldn’t help but feel the pain and reflect on what Emmett Till went through, followed by his mother’s severe anguish when looking at his statue and visiting the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in nearby Sumner. It’s a pause all of us should take now and then to remember those who suffered and fought for Civil Rights. In what I would consider a cousin of the Soul Mate blog, I had the opportunity to interview author Wright Thompson on his eye-popping and best-selling book “The Barn,” about Till’s life and death and everything that unfolded because of it. For me, that ranks up there with any interview I’ve experienced.
I couldn’t have kept up with all the incredible food and last-minute event changes due to the weather without the help of Liz Liddell, Executive Director of Main Street Greenwood. She also made sure everyone had a happy Thursday at the sponsor’s party.
And even though this is a love letter to the Soul Mates, I’ve also written about everything happening in Greenwood, from Delta blues and civil rights monuments to places to visit and the wonderful food that locals and tourists get to experience every day. And so, seeing things like Robert Johnson’s grave, the Tallahatchie Bridge, and downtown Greenwood makes me feel like I’ve lived there my entire life.
But by far my most memorable time happened when I got to meet the people I talked to and wrote about, the Soul Mates. They’re so genuine and they all have one thing in common – a strong and loyal love of Greenwood. My heartfelt thank you goes out to all of you and to Greenwood, Mississippi, my home away from home.
With all my heart and soul,
Bill Glenn, Senior Writer
The Focus Group (Greenwood CVB’s marketing & PR agency)