July 22, 2022 – If you’re looking for a getaway with intriguing scenery, you may want to consider Room 807 in Atrium’s ICU. A big window offers a splendid overlook of Macon and beyond. It’s amazing what you can see with a view from above.

To the south there’s a large smokestack, but it looks harmless so I’m hoping it’s steam. Whatever it is blends nicely with today’s cumulus clouds. Jimmy says it’s Macon Kraft. 

The plant’s unpleasant smell greeted us on every trip to Macon during childhood. Now it’s so rare I’ve almost forgotten the scent. When my cousin, Rooney Bowen, Jr., was a young boy, his father suspected him of being the source of the stench that filled their car. He narrowly escaped a spanking. 

Just across Hemlock Street is a single story building with a simple maze on one side. Its secluded center hides some peculiar metal structures. A square green block, maybe 3 feet on all sides, is accompanied by a blue ball of similar proportions and a red pyramid. The hideaway isn’t visible at street level so I’ve spent part of the morning wondering what its purpose could be.

I only have one theory that seems credible – a mental health testing facility. My guess is the initial screening is based on whether you can find the inner room without assistance. If you make it that far they ask a series of questions. 

“Which of these pieces might be used as a serving table for a picnic? If you wanted to roll something down the street which shape would work best? Do any of these items remind you of something that’s found in Egypt?” 

Answering all three questions correctly is likely rewarded with a certificate. Getting two right probably lands you in some kind of therapy. If you miss all three, there aren’t any good options. My best guess is they encourage you to run for public office.

A young lady in a pink top is jogging. She’s not fast but this isn’t a competition. That reminds me of a conversation my mother had several years ago with our son-in-law, Matt. He’s an avid runner and was training for Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race. 

Mama had no idea the race draws thousands of competitors from around the globe. She innocently asked Matt, “Do you think you’ll win?” 

“No, mam,” he politely replied, which prompted her to follow up. “Then why are you running?”

 Cell towers, or something akin, must number a dozen or more. Not too many years ago tall towers were usually for television and radio stations. Now most of them are for cell phones.

I didn’t have a cell phone until I retired from the bank in 2015, unless you count a bag phone that plugged into a cigarette lighter. It was hard to imagine then that a hand-held device would come along with a zillion uses, including a few that are worthwhile. 

Several ancient buildings are distant but easily seen. One property has part of a defunct concrete block silo. Another is home to a rusty cylindrical water tower, the style that was common in my youth. There aren’t many of those left so this one is probably on the historical society’s watch list. If not, I apologize to the owners for leaking the information.   

Two churches are within a few feet of each other. One is a simple white frame building. The other is brick and very ornate, probably from the early 1900s or before. It’s amazing how people with hand tools handled construction jobs that would be challenging even today. If Jimmy is still in this room on Sunday, I hope to find both parking lots overflowing.

There are a lot of other old buildings within sight and some newer ones too. I have no idea what most of them were built for or what their purpose is now. Yet I find it interesting to look them over and wonder. There’s a story behind each one, as well as the lady in pink who gradually jogged out of sight.

Scanning hundreds of acres from that eighth floor window was captivating. Although I have no personal connection with any of it, I wanted to know more about what I was seeing.

It’s hard to imagine how God must feel as he watches over what he created and loves. Scripture says he knows each of us by name, even the ones that are hard to spell. I unexpectedly gained a somewhat better appreciation today of what an awesome God we serve. It’s amazing what you can see with a view from above.