Once again my dad and my stepmother Maria are in town. They drove down to help me out with some loose ends that we couldn’t finish when I moved in. The visit also provided a perfect opportunity to celebrate Father’s Day. My dad has been invaluable. Not only did he drive me from New York, but he helped me load and unload my stuff, and set things up here in Cleveland. So the least I could do was take him to see Man of Steel. As a Superman fan he really enjoyed the film.
Now the only theater in the region is down in Greenville, about an hour away. The theater itself is very nice and modern. It has stadium seating, all digital projection, and a nice parking lot. The building is located along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, which is one of the main roads through the city. Surrounded by farmland it stands out quite a bit and actually feels somewhat out of place. The theater, called the Nelco 6, is not hard to find. Nevertheless Google couldn’t manage it. Their directions took us through a residential neighborhood, stopped at a corn field, and told us there was a movie theater there. I am beginning to appreciate the limits of Google Maps. It has trouble finding exact locations in rural areas.
One of the drawbacks of living in the Mississippi Delta is the lack of movie theaters. The Nelco is the largest theater within 50 miles and it has only six screens. The only others I’ve heard of are even smaller. Fortunately there is Netflix. But there is no substitute for the movie going experience. Working at a theater for two and a half years really taught me an appreciation for the difference it makes over simply watching films at home on a computer screen. I look forwards to traveling back to Rockland and paying a visit to my old location.
The city of Greenville itself is an interesting topic. It’s one of the largest city in the Delta with a population of nearly 35,000. Yet it’s clearly seen better days. Only ten years ago that figure was closer to 50,000. The main streets are filled with shuttered stores and abandoned buildings. At the same time the city is one of the only places to find chain stores such as JC Penny and Shoney’s (famous for their breakfast buffet). The closest Toyota is in Greenville and until recently there was a Honda dealership as well. It doesn’t have the same feel as Cleveland.
During my interview, someone said that the town is a lot nicer than the surrounding area. I can see why. Cleveland is a diamond in the rough. Delta State and a few factories provide jobs giving the area a nice vibe. There are people here from all over meaning the town has more diversity than I initially thought. There are lots of places to shop and eat. Yes there is no movie theater or chain restaurants (fast food aside). But I’ll live. It will force me to think hard before going out. Besides, I like to cook anyway.
