The Day Jimmy Matthew “Grew Up”

A Piedmont Lantern Story

Jimmy Matthew “grew up” on a Tuesday afternoon. That, in itself, put the whole affair under suspicion.

It happened down by Terrapin Creek, where the water ran higher than usual from a storm nobody in Piedmont had taken seriously. Jimmy had. Briefly. Then he’d forgotten, which was more his style.

He was crossing the narrow log folks used instead of the bridge they kept promising to fix when his foot slipped.

Not all the way.

Just enough.

The log shifted. Water rushed loud beneath him. For half a second, Jimmy Matthew saw his life unfold in headlines:

LOCAL BOY SWEPT AWAY AFTER NOT LISTENING

He windmilled, grabbed at air, and landed hard on his knees, hugging the log like it was a long-lost cousin. His heart pounded so loud he was sure the creek could hear it.

Jimmy stayed there a good long moment, breathing shallow, promising everything he could think of.

“I’ll be careful,” he whispered.
“I’ll listen.”
“I’ll stop runnin’.”

The creek rushed on, unimpressed.

Eventually, Jimmy crawled back to solid ground and sat there shaking, staring at the water like it had personally betrayed him.

“That was it,” he said out loud. “That was the sign.”

By the time he walked home, Jimmy Matthew had decided he was different now.

He walked slower. He nodded thoughtfully at adults. He declined an invitation to climb a tree. He even stopped himself from kicking a rock, because grown men don’t kick rocks unless they were measuring something.

Mawmaw noticed it right off.

“You feelin’ all right?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jimmy said solemnly. “I reckon I’ve matured.”

She looked at him for a long moment. “You want biscuits or cornbread with them beans?”

“Both,” Jimmy replied without hesitation.

That evening, Jimmy sat on the porch thinking heavy thoughts. About danger. About responsibility. About how close things could come without touching you at all.

It rattled him.

Which was why, when Jim Leroy suggested sneaking down to see if the creek was still high, Jimmy said, “Absolutely not.”

Then added, “Well. Maybe just a quick look-see.”

They went.

They stood at the edge, peering down. The water had already calmed, flowing ordinary again, like it had never made threats.

Jimmy felt foolish. And relieved. And still… changed.

“Reckon you learned somethin’?” Jim Leroy asked.

Jimmy nodded. “Yes, sir, I reckon I did.”

“What?”

Jimmy thought about it. “That things can end quick.”

Jim Leroy considered that. “You gonna grow up now?”

Jimmy hesitated. Then the familiar itch returned. “Not today.”

He skipped a rock. It bounced twice and sank.

Later that night, lying in bed, Jimmy Matthew replayed the moment again and again. The slip. The rush. The way fear had reached up and grabbed him by the ribs.

He didn’t know it yet, but that was the part that mattered.

Not that he’d grown up.

Just that he’d noticed.

And noticing, for Jimmy Matthew, was as close as he was ever going to get to maturity without bein’ supervised.

Which, in Piedmont, was considered progress enough.

About Ol' Big Jim

Jim L. Wright is a storyteller with a lifetime of experiences as colorful as the characters he creates. Born and raised in Piedmont, Alabama, Jim’s connection to the land, history, and people of the region runs deep. His debut novel New Yesterdays is set in his hometown, where he grew up listening to stories of the past—stories that sparked his imagination and curiosity for history. Today, Jim lives in Leeds, Alabama, with his husband Zeek, a tour operator who shares his passion for adventure and discovery. Known affectionately as “Ol’ Big Jim,” he has had a diverse career that includes time as a storekeeper, an embalmer, a hospital orderly, and a medical coder. There are even whispers—unconfirmed, of course—that he once played piano in a house of ill repute. No matter the job, one thing has remained constant: Jim is a teller of tales. His stories—sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking—are often inspired by his unique life experiences. Many of these tales can be found on his popular blog, Ol’ Big Jim, where he continues to share his musings with a loyal readership. Jim’s adventures have taken him far beyond Alabama. For seven years, he lived in Amman, Jordan, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. His time there, spent in smoky coffee shops, enjoying a hookah and a cup of tea while scribbling in his ever-present notebook, deeply influenced his worldview and his writing. When Jim isn’t writing, he’s thinking about writing. His stories, whether tall tales from his past or imaginative reimagining is of historical events should read from his past or imaginative reimaginings of historical events, reflect a life lived fully and authentically. With New Yesterdays, Jim brings readers a rich tapestry of history, fantasy, and human connection. Visit his blog at www.olbigjim.com to read more of his stories, or follow him on social media to keep up with his latest musings and projects, one of which is a series that follows Bonita McCauley, an amateur detective who gets into some very sticky situations. His book, New Yesterdays, can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

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