Menu
An open letter and apology to Blytheville
To the editor:
It's been 40 years since I left Blytheville. Having lived most of my life in the West, my sojourn in Blytheville was very brief. I graduated from Blytheville High School in 1973 and left shortly thereafter. Yet my time there has left a lasting impression on me. The people there were wonderful. I made more friends in that one year than I had in the previous four years where I had lived in northern California. Susan Taylor and others helped me to make friends quickly, some of them for a lifetime. For that, I am extremely grateful.
However, I also want to apologize for my behavior while I was there. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon). I was pretty rowdy during my time there. Being one of the few LDS people in the town, I certainly should have set a better example. I found out later that my reputation was even worse than my behavior actually was. After I left, I got my act together and I've been faithful ever since.
If anyone who remembers me reads this, I encourage them to contact me at dzwhittaker@gmail.com. Thanks again for your love and hospitality, Blytheville!