CARLTON FLETCHER: The things we think about

Golden slumbers, fill your eyes. Smiles await you when you rise. Sleep pretty darling do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby.

— The Beatles

These are some of the things I’ve been thinking about lately when I wake up at 4 a.m. and can’t go back to sleep:

I know a lot of people are ignoring the outrage generated by release of a small percentage of the so-called Epstein Files, and they may be the smart ones. The web of gruesome stories and photographs that have emerged from this abomination is sickening. And, wouldn’t you know it, Albany is actually mentioned in the scandalous files?

It seems the creep who dreamed up this sickening world of deviance — which included, among other horrors, cannibalism, vampirism, murder, children presented as “gifts” to sick billionaires and sex trafficking — was involved in the purchase of Abigail Plantation in Dougherty County. A listing on Page 58 of the files includes this entry: Company Name: L.A.W. PLANTATION MANAGEMENT CORP.. Name: EPSTEIN. JEFFREY E 37: Title: CEO Address: 515 ABIGAIL PLANTATION RD. ALBANY, GA 31721-8114 SSN: Phone: Confidence: Medium.

The Social Security Number and phone number for a transaction in which Epstein reportedly purchased the plantation for a billionaire friend in exchange for other favors were redacted. 

—

There’s something in many of us that defies our place in the world as thinking human beings. Original thoughts come at a premium, but that doesn’t stop us from jumping on the latest fad and riding it until it becomes a cliche.

Case in point: The influx of vehicles that come in that dove-gray color.

When I saw the first couple of such vehicles, I thought, “Hmmm, that’s a pretty interesting color, different from the blacks, whites, reds and blues that most of us settled on.” Now, though, just about every sixth vehicle you see is this same color. Which leads some of us — me included — to think: “Why did I think this was such a good idea? We now are inundated with vehicles that all look the same.”

The name of that color has changed for me: From dove-gray to dull-gray.

—

Sometimes, things just go wrong from the beginning. I talked with John Heath with the Dawson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post a couple of months back, and he was excited to share that the Albany VFW Post had consolidated with the Dawson Post, breathing new life into a post that was, as Heath said, in danger of losing its charter.

A couple of unfortunate misconnections kept pushing the story ahead, much to Heath’s and my dismay.

Finally, though, Heath set up a meeting with himsel, Albany VFW Post 2785 Adjutant Chris Shroyer and Post Commander Lonzie Jimmerson. We met late one afternoon, and all three men were accommodating and helpful as they showed me around and talked about future plans for the post and about the seemless consolidation of the Dawson Post. We talked about all things VFW-related, and I took dozens of photographs to use with the story.

And that turned into a cluster. First of all, I misread my notes and mixed up the ranks and service operations of the three gentlemen and, to top it off, not one of the photographs I took turned out. They weren’t on the sim card, on the camera or anywhere to be found. 

Corrections were made, and there was every effort to make things right online. But the bottom line is that there were a number of screw-ups in this matter, and for that I offer a humble apology.

—

I know the local downtown and Westside library branches have sent out an APB looking for me since I haven’t been in either in the past three or four months. I have been a regular at the local library branches, checking out as many books — real books that you hold in your hands, not these eBooks or stuff like that — as I could read. (I surpassed 60 last year.) But my decision to read all seven of Stphen King’s “Dark Tower” books in October led to three-plus months of reading the works of the horror fiction master.

I finally finished all seven of the books, but before I went back to the library, I got a great birthday present — “Dixie Lullaby” by former Rolling Stone writer/editor Mark Kemp … thanks so much, Bo; thanks so much Bonnie — that I jumped right into after finishing the King books.

Now I’m ready to get back to the library, to see if Michael Connelly, Don Winslow, James Lee Burke or Carl Hiaasan has a new release. 

So call off the APB. As George Costanza would say, “I’m back, baby.”

Email Carlton Fletcher at [email protected].