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Dating a cousin There are rampant rumors of southerners being a people who intermarry. If it had not been for my grandfather, I may have been one of those people who perpetuated the rumor. My parents were hard and fast about the rule of no dating until I was 16-years-old. I was allowed to meet boys at the movies, but only if mom or dad took me and picked me up. On my 16th birthday, however, I was very excited. I pretty much accepted any date I was asked on just so I would feel grown up. There was this one boy, however, who captured my interest. I thought he was the cutest boy I had ever seen! We went out on a couple of dates, and, then I asked him if he wanted to meet my grandparents. He said it would be fine, and we went on one of our dates to their house. We were sitting there carrying on small talk when my grandfather asked one simple question which would change the status of my feelings for this boy: "Who's your mama and daddy?" After he had told my grandfather their names, I saw a twinkle in my grandfather's eyes from the sudden burst of adrenaline pumping. This was the type of thing my grandfather could speak on for hours. He tore into this lineage like a bandit at a bank- both guns pulled and ready for action. As my grandfather rambled on for what seemed to be forever, the boy I was dating and I felt our countenance fall to the floor. We were cousins. The more Papa talked, the farther we moved away from each other. Once Papa felt as though he had his evidence on the table, the room fell silent. I spoke up, "Well, guess we need to get on!" As this boy drove me home, we sat uncomfortably. The only sounds we could hear were the engine purring, the radio blaring, and the tires touching the road. It was only a 10-minute drive from my grandparents' place to my home, but it felt like years. When we finally made it into the driveway, we politely said goodbye, and I scurried off into the house. This was our last encounter. This experience taught me one valuable lesson: Always do a background check with my grandfather before dating anyone seriously. It seems as though I was related to most of the cute boys in the Clarke County area. I suppose this is why I married someone from Huntsville, though, I did ask Papa if there was any chance of relations between us before I said, "I do." Just goes to show you: Life can always build a wall in front of your plans, but God can veer you onto a road that leads to bigger and better things.
Autumn Mott Calvert grew up in Thomasville. Her grandfather- the one who nixed her earliest dating plans- is Roy LaVerne Mott Sr.
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