Singing Sweet Home Alabama All Summer Long

It was 1989 my thoughts were short my hair was long
Caught somewhere between a boy and man
She was seventeen and she was far from in-between
It was summertime in Northern Michigan

Lots of songs have been written about summer not lasting forever. Inevitably fall has to come. It was no different in 1981. Chris and I crammed a lot in to that summer. Everyone was having parties for him before he shipped off to boot camp. It was a crazy, surreal summer.

Catchin Walleye from the dock
Watching the waves roll off the rocks
She'll forever hold a spot inside my soul

Chris and I had a big decision to make. Would we break up or would we try to ride out the next four years? Luckily we realized we were too young to get married, but neither of us wanted to let go. We decided we'd ride it out for as long as we could.

Chris spent twelve weeks in Parris Island, SC going through USMC boot camp. He wrote me letters nearly every day. He begged me to write and to send pictures. I called Scarlett and asked if she'd take some for me. Scarlett and I spent the better part of a day taking photographs of me. I had outfit changes and everything. The photos turned out great. To this day they are among my all time favorite photos of myself. I still have them all.

Back in South Carolina, Chris plastered the photos all over his locker. Every day his Drill Sergeant would tell all the recruits to stop thinking of their girls because they were surely back home carrying on with someone else.

At the end of the twelve weeks my parents allowed me to ride to South Carolina with Chris' family to attend his graduation. It was great to see him. I'll never forget spotting him across the courtyard. I ran to him. Once he saw me he started to run too. When we met he grabbed me and spun me around. Somehow his mother captured that with a photo. It was all like one big fairy tale.

Chris got to come home for a short time before shipping off to Camp Pendleton, CA. I could tell he grew up and became a man during that twelve weeks but he was still my sweetheart. At that moment I felt like we would have no problem at all getting through the next 3 years and 9 months. I was starting community college here at home and would be very busy so the time would go by fast. And we would keep writing letters! Scarlett could take new photos every now and then! I was sure we could do it. We were Mary and Chris! Of course we would make it! The future was looking bright.

Now nothin' seems as strange as
When the leaves begin to change
Or how we thought those days would never end
Sometimes I hear that song and I'll start to sing along
And think man, I'd love to see that girl again
-Kid Rock