GUEST AUTHOR
• guest author •
Connie Pearson
By Kelly Wheeler ( as told to her by Connie Pearson )
Connie Pearson is inspired by the story of Grandma Moses who did not begin painting until the age of 77 . Connie is now into her fourth career , and this latest one did not begin until she was retired , getting all kinds of senior discounts , and collecting Social Security . She thinks her present job might be the most fun and knows it is keeping her mind sharp , and her children baffled . Throughout Connie ’ s life , she has learned to pivot and stay flexible through many unexpected twists and turns . Her early childhood days were spent in Athens , Ala ., where her dad worked at Redstone Arsenal , her mom was the quintessential homemaker , and she frequently bossed her two younger siblings . When she was 7 , she noticed a lot of her friends coming to school wearing their cute Brownie uniforms and begged her mom to let her join . Money and time for outside activities was limited , so her mom said , “ You can choose either Brownies or piano lessons , but not both .” She is still puzzled that she chose piano lessons , but in the big picture , she knows God was directing her steps even then . Musicians were on both sides of her family , so hearing music come alive through the piano keys seemed to come easily and naturally .
Connie ’ s first major life pivot came in 1960 when she was 10 years old . Her father was chosen to be an administrator at the Alabama Baptist Children ’ s Home in Troy . A move from Athens to Troy might not seem like such a big deal , but this move meant
Connie and Steve Pearson were re-enacting a courtship photo taken 50 years earlier .
that her “ normal ” family of five would now be living smack-dab in the middle of a campus housing 200 children . Their rules became her rules . Their church and schools became her church and schools . Suddenly , she and her siblings were sharing their dad with 200 children who demanded his attention , and part of his meager monthly salary included large cans of milk straight from the Children ’ s Homes ’ cows and a crate carrying two live chickens placed on their front porch . She watched her very prissy momma make some major adjustments , but piano lessons remained a constant in her life . Her dream was to attend Samford University and study piano under Dr . Betty Sue Shepherd , a teacher she had learned was the absolute best .
38 | SPRING 2022 CULLMAN COUNTY SENIOR MAGAZINE