More Than a Birthplace

the road to Pensacola, NC

In my fifty-two years of life, living in five states, Western North Carolina will always be more than a birthplace.

It’s my heritage.

My maternal grandmother, we called her Grandmother Pete, grew up in Pensacola.

Growing up, she taught me how to swim & fish (not at the same time!) at Bud’s Hole in Pensacola. It’s a deep water section in Cattail Creek that was about 100 yards away from my great-grandmother’s house. Once when we were exploring the woods above the house, my grandmother scolded me because I had a hard time peeing in the woods¹. It was no big deal for my older brother, but come on! It’s so easy for boys.

My paternal grandparents lived in Swannanoa all of their married life (50+ years) and raised six kids there. My parents grew up in Swannanoa. They were childhood sweethearts and graduated from Charles D. Owen High School in 1956.

Swannanoa is where I remember tasting grapes for the first time, straight off the grapevine in my Mammaw and Pappaw’s yard. When I stayed with them, Mammaw would tuck me in with the cadence of her soft voice reciting Psalm 23.

My parents were married in Black Mountain and bought their first house in the Haw Creek area of Asheville.

Holidays were in Black Mountain, Swannanoa, or Blowing Rock.

We celebrated my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary at their home in Lake Lure.

Asheville is where my parents retired in 2000 and our kids have spent countless summers and holidays there.

Name a town in Western North Carolina or even East Tennessee, I probably have a memory attached to it.

Greg fell in love, too. We’re still east coast kids and love a good beach vacation, and in our opinion, Chicago is the best big city in America despite what you may hear on the news…but the mountains of Western Carolina is death-to-us-part home. Right, Greg? ;)

Why am I sharing all of this? I can’t not. If you don’t live in the area, it’s hard to comprehend the devastation from Helene.

This is my little way of saying every little bit helps when it comes to rebuilding these towns so they can continue to be places of heritage for generations to come.

Photo by Andrew James on Unsplash

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Recovering from Helene, and now Milton, will take months (years?).

Hurricane Helene Aftermath: Ways to Help

1. There are three times I can remember peeing outside. 1) The above-mentioned time in Pensacola. 2) In the pouring down rain during an obstacle course race in downtown Chicago. I was soaked from head to toe because of the rain and who has time to stop at the porta-potty during a race? Did you know it’s possible to pee and jog at the same time while fully clothed? 3) The last time was in a field near an abbey in Montepulciano, Italy. The chanting monks weren’t there that day so the bathrooms were closed!