As luck would have it, the Georgia Literary Festival, which is held each year in a different locale, was in my hometown of Macon in 2006. It was a special opportunity to return after so many years to the site that was the locale where the events in Southern Fried Rice occurred.
I got to meet my first grade best friend, renew acquaintances with junior high classmates after over 50 years, and visit my old childhood haunts. (Rip Van Winkle had nothing on me, awakening after only about 20 years) It was intriguing and somewhat "eerie"to see what changes had occurred, physically as well as socially, and also to note what things were much the same as they were when I grew up there.