A Sunrise Memory

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. -- Kahlil Gibran

I ran across this quote today and it reminded me of taking Zoe for a sunrise walk on the beach. The sand is cool between your toes and the breezes are calm. Best of all, the rest of the world is still asleep, so you have nature’s landscape all to yourself.

Charlotte's Transit Evolution

A few years back, CJ and I left our wedding reception and took our first ride on the historic Charlotte Trolley to our Uptown hotel. We were one of only two or three families on the Trolley, but to experience this charming part of Charlotte’s past capped off an already magical day.

Charlotte’s electric streetcars began running in 1891 and survived through much of the Depression, up until 1938. The trolleys ran again briefly from 2004 to 2006, and now stand idle while Charlotte’s light rail system is built.

Ahhh… the light rail. So full of controversy… the budget woes, the half-cent sales tax, the thinly veiled mudslinging…

I’m undecided about the light rail. I think it’s a great idea, but I also think the people who need to use it the most are exactly the people who won’t. Giving up your SUV to ride public transportation is a major lifestyle change.

When light rail service begins later this year, from what I understand, the Trolley will resume its service between South End and Uptown. New and old will literally converge on the same tracks. I hope they can peacefully co-exist.

Fortune Cookie Says...

Even when I let CJ choose the cookie, I always seem to end up with the... uh... "fortunate" fortune.

I nabbed this one on Friday night at our favorite Chinese restaurant and thought it was rather timely, considering the theme of my new blog. The world is so full of beautiful - and perhaps ordinary - things. I truly hope I don't ever lose the ability to find them and - more important - appreciate them.

Peach Ice Cream

Nothing says summer in the South like homemade peach ice cream.

I don't own an ice cream maker myself, nor would I buy peach ice cream if they sold it at the grocery store. So, when I come across the real thing, I can't help but indulge.

Such was the case a couple weekends back, when we left South Mountains State Park after a quick hike and swim. The roadside "Homemade Ice Cream" sign at Redbone Willy's was like a beacon. Only two of their many flavors that day were homemade. The first was peach, and that was all I needed to know. We got our cones, and savored all but the last bite while sitting in the rocking chairs on the front porch. (The last bite went to Zoe, our always-hungry canine companion.)

Small-Town Girl in the Wannabe-Big City

Growth is good, right? And Charlotte is growing, growing, growing. Just open the newspaper… more schools, wider roads, a new wing at SouthPark mall, and the possibility of (gasp) a Trump condo building! Everything is new, clean, fresh, and expensive-looking – a developer’s dream. And yet, the enchanted feeling I had when I moved here in 1998 is fading. Where is our sense of history? Our sense of authenticity? Our sense of people who are real, and true, and unabashedly middle class?

We have a newer, bigger, better arena, so let’s tear down the antiquated (19-year-old) Coliseum. Mom-and-pop restaurants? Nahhhh, we need another parking deck. And Farmer Jim can’t afford his property taxes anymore, so we might as well buy him out and build a new subdivision... with a quick 20-mile, hour-plus commute over 485.

I’m not against growth and change. But, the changes I’ve seen in this city within the last few years make me long for a simpler life – one without traffic, sprawl, or pretense. “Why don’t we move to the country?” I casually suggested to my husband earlier this week. “Way, way out there. Buy a couple acres, live off the fatta the land, get a couple more dogs…” A quick sideways glance indicated he had either not heard me or tactfully chose not to respond to my plea.

There are compelling reasons to stay in Charlotte. Lots of job opportunities. Plenty of fantastic independent restaurants. A network of supportive friends. The Panthers. And last but not least, my husband’s pension.

But is it possible to stay here without becoming a slave to the system? Is it possible to slow down and simplify without shutting down or being shut out? Only time will tell.