There’s something about the summer that brings out the kid in me.
It’s not like I start a worry-free summer break in June (yep, school kids, I’m jealous) or have any grandiose summer plans beyond some stolen moments on the Carolina coast. But come mid-May, like clockwork, I find myself in eager anticipation. Of what, I’m not exactly sure – but I do know that I love this time of year, in this particular place.
Sometime last summer – maybe mid-July – I found myself walking home late, post bar-closing time, with my husband and uncomfortable high-heeled shoes in tow. It was the sort of summer night that gets written about a lot, with a bright moon lighting up the town and the pavement still warm from the oppressive heat of a July day in the South. The night air was cushioned with the remaining humidity of the afternoon, and at that moment, walking through the night in our little town – perhaps because I’d had a couple of beers, or perhaps just because of the moment – I felt such a strong connection to this place, to Carrboro, to North Carolina, to the South.
There’s been a lot of negative things said about this state we call home in recent weeks – including some from within – and though I’ve surely had some negative thoughts myself, I’d like to encourage us all to recall those moments of connection to and love for this place – for Carrboro, and for North Carolina.
–Susan Dickson