Playing Dangerously in Creeks

 Pictured is the late Dick Sullivan, who saved my life in a creek.

Creeks.  There are some creeks around here that I got to know in my many years.

Sweet Water Creek is in the southwest Cobb/Douglasville area.  When I was 4, 5, and maybe 6  each year on my birthday in July we and our neighbors the Sullivan family would go to Sweet Water Creek and celebrate Eddie Sullivan’s and my birthday.  We lived in the Clay Homes and the Sullivans lived in the same building a few doors down. 

Mr. Sullivan had a flatbed trailer.  He with his family ran the concessions at  Larry Bell Park and used the trailer to haul goodies and soft drinks from one sporting event to another.

We had our  Sweet Water birthday picnics  on a dirt road that went into the creek.  It was like a beach.  Next to the dirt road was a bridge, the new detour that went across the creek.  I think I was about 5.  I waded out into the water and WHOOSH!  I stepped into nothingness.  As soon as I submerged an under water current grabbed me and off we went.

Dick Sullivan, the oldest brother jumped in to save me and so did my Daddy, who was on the bridge at the time, getting a bird’s eye view.  Apparently, they saved me.  I could have drowned.

Sopes Creek is in east of Marietta.  I remember one time Daddy took us out to see the creek.  It was something, roaring white water with rushing water splashing against  the rocks and all.  It was crowded with cars and people.  That day we visited there was also an ambulance there.  Somebody got their head damaged by crashing into a rock in the rushing water.

Anyway, I was impressed.  I told my friends about it and how fun it looked.  Three or four of us got on our bikes and rode out to Sopes Creek.  At the time we lived on Manget Street across from Larry Bell Park, which was a long way to pedal our bikes.  Once we got on Sewell Mill Road, we could just about coast all the way there it was all down hill, which was at least  a mile or two.

When we decided to go I had a flat tire.  I had to push my bike up the long hill of Sewell Mill Road..  Once we got to Roswell Road it wasn’t far to my cousin’s husband’s Service Station, I think if was a Shell Service Stafion..  My cousin Faye Hunter married Frank Rogers.  He first had a Shell Station just almost next to East Marietta Shopping Center, then a Sinclair Station at the fork of Roswell and Lower Roswell Roads. At that time his station was the one at East Maritta Shopping Center.  I used Frank Roger’s phone to call home for Daddy to come and get us.  I do not remember how he reacted.  I doubt if he was happy about my little adventure without telling him or Mama.

As I said we lived on Manget Street and across the street from Larry Bell Park.  Dividing the park almost in half was Manget Creek.  In one area of the creek was a wide area with about a 5 inch waterfall, which we build a dam and had us a nice pond to swim in.  There were banks on the east and west side which gave us a little cliff to “cannon ball” into the boy-made pond.  Onetime I was cannon balling in and in mid air I saw a snake swimming.  It was right right under me, nothing I could do but bomb it.  As soon as I hit the water I got the heck out of the water.  I do not know the fate of the snake.

Another time Marietta had a huge torrential rain.  I walked down to see how the creek was handling this, ZI was by myself.  I took off my shoes and waded in.  I slipped into the rushing water and down the creek I went. Finally about 20 feet away I managed to grab onto a small tree that wasn’t normally in the water, but it was that day.  I held on for my life until I worked myself off the rushing water. 

Well, here I am!  Still here!  But gave up the thrill of jumping on live snakes, hanging by a tree ,or being swep away by an underwater current.