Over the next three years, citizens will take part in a bicentennial celebration commemoration of Alabama.

The Alabama 200’s official launch will be on May 5, 2017, in Mobile.

The commemoration’s first year will be celebrating places, the second year will celebrate people and the third year will celebrate the state’s stories that make it great.

When I first heard of this campaign, I really dug its theme and message. I was asked to be on the committee here in Atmore for the celebration, which I didn’t hesitate to say, “I’d be happy to.”

Some time afterward, I was taken back to my time as a freshman at Fairhope High School.

Alabama History was still a subject in school, and there were many days where it slipped through my mind in the classroom. Maybe it was the teacher teaching it. He was a mean old man who didn’t take things lightly.

However, I think he liked me because I was a good student. Who knew?

That was several years ago, and while I have some knowledge of our state’s history and what makes it great, it’s going to be awesome to get a refresher over the next three years.

To this day, it still amazes me what we have in this state with our natural resources, culture, history and tradition, and even our southern hospitality.

For example, a fact I like to keep with me is that the rocks that are laid under NASA’s space shuttle for transport at Cape Canaveral, Fla., come from a river in the state. That’s in Alabama.

Another is that Mobile is still considered one of them most flourishing ports in the country, and the Gulf Coast on the Eastern Shore is one of two places where jubilees occur in the world.

I expect I’ll be saying “fascinating” quite a lot over the next three years.

Who’s with me?

Let’s learn more about our great state.