 |
| Arline Lott Miller, author and blogger |
TODAY THE WORDS are HUMBLE MOMENTS. With the author signing event a couple of days away and a lot of attention coming my way, I thought I would stop and share some thoughts about my humble moments. Many of my readers from my hometown are going out of their way to let me kick off the book launch there as that is so important to me. Not to go to brag or say look what I’ve done but to pay homage to my beginnings and to say thanks for all God has allowed me to do or learn or participate while making my journey.
Let me say it this way….I come from a town in Georgia named Douglas and when I lived there as a child, it was very small. I went to school and yes, I walked home or rode the bus during certain years. We, by no means, were prominent citizens but were brought up respectfully and good work ethics were exampled by our parents. Respect was a very intricate part of how we treated others and that is still present in our lives. We experienced tragedies and endured. We might have quarreled within ourselves, but we would attack someone who mistreated any of us or our friends. We were mighty and fearless, but we never looked for trouble. A stranger was treated with kindness and was shown hospitality and/or help if they needed it. Perfect? Hardly, but a decent lot of LOTTs since that was my family name.
I have shared this to say this….In my life, I have been blessed to take many roads and many adventures. I have met so many great people who have lent me their advice, support and help. I would not have been able to try so many fruitful adventures without their help and I am humbled by their generosity and support. I say a person can have all of the talent, gifts, and blessings but if it were not for God’s Divine Help in placing the right people in our lives at the right time; we would be standing alone to overcome all of life’s obstacles.
May I extend a hand to thank everyone who has participated in my life’s journey so far and for the rest of it. I thank all of the kind people who confirm I am indeed blessed and I hope in some small way, I repay those kind deeds. May I never forget my small town of Douglas who helped shape my thoughts and manners. May I always stay humble and thankful to God, above all else, for every step of my life has walked beside me, loved me, forgave me, protected me, and allowed me the family I have and all of my loved ones and friends.
The deeper thought is…….We are a composite of all of the people to whom we have been born; the friends and relatives with whom we bond; the employers and fellow workers with whom we spend a lot of time; our brothers and sisters in God’s fellowship; and our neighbors with whom we share times; and our mentors who give of themselves to others. It is so important we give of ourselves in return by showing unconditional love and understanding. Remember where you came from and be proud to call your hometown “YOUR TOWN“.
Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,589. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 50,731 as of the 2010 census.
Douglas was founded in 1855 as the seat of the newly formed Coffee County. It was named for Senator Stephen A. Douglas, a renowned stump speaker and congressman who was the presidential challenger to Abraham Lincoln in the election of 1860. Douglas was chartered as a town in 1895 and as a city in 1897.
In 1895, the railroad came to Douglas and the community began to boom. In 1909, the Georgia and Florida Railway located its offices in Douglas.
The Eleventh District Agricultural & Mechanical School was established in Douglas in 1906. In 1927, South Georgia College became Georgia’s first state-supported junior college.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Douglas became one of the major tobacco markets in the state. Much of this history is depicted in the Heritage Station Museum, which is located in the old Georgia and Florida Railway train station on Ward Street in downtown Douglas.
Douglas has two areas listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the downtown and Gaskin Avenue historic districts. They were added to the list in 1989.
Douglas is located near the center of Coffee County at 31°30′27″N 82°51′3″W / 31.50750°N 82.85083°W (31.507413, -82.850799). It is 59 miles (95 km) driving distance northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, 115 miles (185 km) driving distance northwest of Jacksonville, Florida, and 201 miles (323 km) driving distance southeast of Atlanta.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Douglas has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36.2 km), of which 13.4 square miles (34.7 km) is land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km), or 4.08%, is water. Major water bodies include Twenty Mile Creek, the Seventeen Mile River (a tributary of the Satilla River), and Hilliard’s Pond, which was once the ski show park “Holiday Beach”.
Douglas was founded in 1855 as the seat of the newly formed Coffee County. It was named for Senator Stephen A. Douglas, a renowned stump speaker and congressman who was the presidential challenger to Abraham Lincoln in the election of 1860. Douglas was chartered as a town in 1895 and as a city in 1897.
In 1895, the railroad came to Douglas and the community began to boom. In 1909, the Georgia and Florida Railway located its offices in Douglas.
The Eleventh District Agricultural & Mechanical School was established in Douglas in 1906. In 1927, South Georgia College became Georgia’s first state-supported junior college.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Douglas became one of the major tobacco markets in the state. Much of this history is depicted in the Heritage Station Museum, which is located in the old Georgia and Florida Railway train station on Ward Street in downtown Douglas.
Douglas has two areas listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the downtown and Gaskin Avenue historic districts. They were added to the list in 1989.
Douglas is located near the center of Coffee County at 31°30′27″N 82°51′3″W / 31.50750°N 82.85083°W (31.507413, -82.850799). It is 59 miles (95 km) driving distance northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, 115 miles (185 km) driving distance northwest of Jacksonville, Florida, and 201 miles (323 km) driving distance southeast of Atlanta.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Douglas has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36.2 km), of which 13.4 square miles (34.7 km) is land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km), or 4.08%, is water. Major water bodies include Twenty Mile Creek, the Seventeen Mile River (a tributary of the Satilla River), and Hilliard’s Pond, which was once the ski show park “Holiday Beach”.
 |
| Douglas Coffee Co. Chamber of Commerce Event |
 |
| Any one who knows Douglas remembers the Maley Family |
 |
| Local sports accomplishments are recognized in Douglas |
 |
| Douglas remembers its own and pays tributes. |
Here is the book trailer for “A Mistress, A Wife” my novel I will be signing in my hometown of Douglas, GA on July 16 at Heritage Station Museum from 2-6 pm. Hope to see a lot of my friends there.
(c) Copyright 2012-2015 Arline Miller. All rights and privileges are with permission only.
