The distant rumbling of thunder tonight reminds me of another evening twenty years ago. At that time we lived in the Poplarville/Lumberton area. There wasn't much in the way of entertainment in these small areas but it was a great retreat to get away from the stress that an active job can inflict on a person. We lived next door to the superintendent of one of the schools. He offered us tickets to go see some entertainers that were coming to Lumberton. Of course, my husband said, "Thanks but I don't think so." I said, "Wait! Who are they?" The neighbor replied, "The Platters." That was all I needed to hear. We had to wait almost a month and when the night of the concert finally arrived there was a fierce thunderstorm... I mean dangerously fierce. My husband said, "I'm sorry Ruth but we can't go out in this." I suppose had I not detected a hint of relief on his face I would have stayed home.

He, I and our youngest daughter drove through a heavy downpour with many lightning bolts making contact with the ground. We made it into the theater and took our seats. When the Platters walked out on the stage in black slacks , purple sequined jackets and started singing, time rolled backwards. The rain outside was so heavy that it made a roaring sound as it hit the roof. The lightning was loud and close but they didn't miss a song.

The one movie theater in Lumberton was shut down many years ago and the building was used for other local occasions. As it so happened, one of the occasions was ... the Platters came to Lumberton! Only You