Vicki Nelson

I attended Elon College, but they didn't offer classes in partying so I only lasted for one year. I don't know what Mom and Dad expected, I thought it was a big deal to go to Laurinburg on Saturday afternoon with Margaret McInnis (Small)and her Mom. In March of 1970, Good Friday, I went for a ride on a motorcycle with a friend of Johnny Odom's. Needless to say that was something I never should have done. I ended up in the hospital for 3 months and in a full leg cast for 13 months. What can I say, I am lucky to be here and walking on two feet.
After Elon I began my career in banking. I did that for 8.5 years. Then I went to work for Scotland Memorial Hospital, in the Business Office, in 1977. My first divorce was in 1978. I opened an office for an Orthopedic Surgeon in 1987 then got a wild hair and moved down to Myrtle Beach in 1994, without a job no less. That's when I began my career in wireless. (Oh yeah there was another marriage in 1980 which ended in 1986. I try to forget that one.) I moved back to Wagram, (what was I thinking) in 2000 to live with mother. I still have my house at the beach. That's where I go to get back into the real world and regroup.
After several accidents, I never said I was graceful, I'm not in the best of shape physically. I quit smoking after 40 years. That's the good part, the bad part is I am now about 70 pounds over weight. I've tried every diet known to man and then some, but the pounds won't stay off. I finally told myself that I was mean't to be fat and I just live with it, miserably, but that's the way it is until someone invents that little pill that you take and the pounds just drop off.

I will be 60 in January and with every birthday I get my notice from the Federal Government extending my retirement date. What a lousy birthday present. Between that and the stock market I'll never be able to retire.

Of course I didn't graduate from Wagram High School, I was in the first graduating class at Scotland High School. That was a very traumatic experience. Going from a school where I knew everyone, and had known them for years, to a school where I knew hardly anyone. It was definitely a mixed bag for me. I made some new friends. which was nice, but the school was so big that I hardly ever got to see my Wagram friends for more than a nod in the hallway. I have so many fond memories of my Wagram School days. My worst was in second grade when running as hard as I could, going around the corner of the gym and ran head on into Gene Warwick. We both ended up getting our heads sewn up by Dr. Womble. It took 3 people to hold me down for that.
Of course the deaths of my friends and classmates, Ritter Harter and Roger Baxley were both very hard to accept or understand because they both left us at such a young age. My very favorite memory is not one at school, but of my very best buddy, Margaret McInnis. We used to do some of the wierdest things. We used to go to Peden's grocery with a nickle and buy all kinds of things. Cool Aid, not the kind we have now with sweetner in it, but the really sour kind. If you saw us and looked at our hands we usually had either a red or purple spot in our palm where we would pour the cool aid and then lick it. Oh how fun. Every Saturday we would clean Margaret's house and iron clothes so that we could go to Laurinburg with Bonnie to pick up Mr. McInnis. That was such a treat. We would go to Everington's Drug store and get a grilled ham sandwich and a milk shake, or go to Belk and ride the elevator. At around 12 years old I started to drive my grandmother's car all over town. I will never forget, right before my 16th birthday, Mr. Proctor, Chief of Police, said, "Vicki don't you think it best to stop driving until you turn 16? I would hate for you to lose the chance to get your license." It's sad that our children and theirs won't experience what it's like to have fun and appreciate the small things, like swimming in the Lumber River, diving off the bridge, waiving and yelling at Liza as we rode by her house on the way to the river. Many times we would walk from town to the river, hopping and jumping because the pavement was so hot. Oh that black river felt so good when we finally got there. Swimming up river and finding all the pretty colored rocks on the bottom. Those were they days that I will always remember along with the friends who were like family to me.