You can't go home again

It was probably about a dozen years ago when I left the Georgia House in 2004, that my former colleague, Matt Towery, said to me: "Larry, you'll dream about the Legislature a lot for a while, but as time passes, you'll dream about it less and less." Matt was right, frequent has turned into infrequent.

My son, Larry III, now the state senator for District 20, encouraged me several times during the recently completed 2016 session to visit, but I put him off with various excuses. Then, last week, he invited me once again, and I answered with, "You'll understand one day, but I will come by on Thursday, which is your last day." And, I did.

I got to the Capitol shortly after the House and Senate had broken for lunch, and this gave me time to visit with some of the lobbyists, House and Senate employees and others (doorkeepers, media folks, the Senate photographer, employees from the Lieutenant Governor's Office, Senate aides, etc.). I was treated very nicely by all, and enjoyed seeing and visiting with these people.

Then Senate and House members started returning from lunch, and I enjoyed briefly reminiscing with a few members I served with (probably about 10 percent of the 236 — 180 in the House and 56 in the Senate were there when I left in 2004).

Larry took me onto the floor of the Senate, the lieutenant governor, as the Senate's presiding officer, recognized me, photographs were taken, and then I was ready to go home. And, oh, how the memories flooded my soul as I drove south on Interstate 75.

I thought of "our" delegations during my tenure, which comprised Sonny Watson, Sonny Perdue, Ted Waddle, Jay Walker, Robert Ray, Larry O'Neal, Ross Tolleson, Michael Moore and, going way back, Ed Barker. In particular my mind was on Sonny Watson, one of my "all-time most effective legislators," and Sonny Perdue, who was the Senate majority leader when I was the House majority leader. The memories were good, of the people and the accomplishments, but they were just that — memories never to be the same and never to be repeated.

I also thought of some of the many who helped me and the folks in my district during my 32 years: Rep. Joe Frank Harris, later to be Gov. Joe Frank Harris; Speaker Tom Murphy; House Rules Committee Chairman Bill Lee; Ways and Means Committee chairman and later State Revenue Commissioner Marcus Collins; Appropriations Committee chairman and later Speaker Terry Coleman; Govs. Zell Miller and Roy Barnes and friends Shorty Foster, Bobby Rowan, Wayne Snow, Warren Evans, Rudolph Johnson, Calvin Smyre, Denmark Groover, Frank Pinkston, David Lucas, Robert Reichert, Elmo Thrash, Connell Stafford and many, many others. Again, memories never to be again repeated — with eight of these now gone to their eternal rest.

My mind slid back even further as I relived, momentarily, my time as a child and a youngster visiting in rural Washington County and spending time with Grandma, Papa, Aunt Lillian, Uncle Jim and my cousin James. And then Grandma, Papa, Aunt Lillian, and Uncle Jim were gone and James seldom seen. But my love for that dirt farm in Washington County wouldn't leave, so Janice and I bought the "Old Walker Home Place." And, it was wonderful, but not the same.

We worked hard trying to improve the place — put in a better and deeper well, painted the interior of the house, put a new roof on it, tore down and removed old buildings, etc. But, it was not the same. Much of the modest furniture, including the upright piano, beds, butter churn, dresser, lamps, etc., were stolen. Often, water was not available (broken pipes, pump wouldn't work) and cleaning up, chopping weeds, etc., had to be done every time we visited. Then, almost symbolically, Papa's bell that stood high on the cedar pole at the back door was stolen. This theft hurt me most of all.

I sold the "Old Walker Home Place." It was very difficult to do, and I often had regrets. And then, I went back to look one day and a giant power line easement had been put right through the middle of the place and very close to Papa and Grandma's home. I'm glad we didn't have to suffer this.

No, you can't go home again, and you can't relive the past. You just keep pressing forward remembering the good and the sweet and doing the best you can, day to day. But, I do dream about the wonderful, love-filled times spent in Washington County and friends still living and friends gone on, and playing basketball at Perry High School, and sometimes, though infrequently, I'm back in Atlanta with the Legislature. And, that's the way I will always have to leave it — in my dreams.

Larry Walker served 32 years in the Georgia General Assembly and presently serves on the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Email: lwalker@whgmlaw.com.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 9:01 PM with the headline "You can't go home again ."