It was like a dream

Did you ever have one of those frustrating dreams where you were supposed to be somewhere and you couldn't quite get there as one thing after another prohibited you?  Well that's the way my latest trip seemed.

I started very early to make a return visit to Barton College in Wilson.  I left in plenty of time (according to my faithful guide) but there was construction in Winston-Salem and traffic in Greensboro and a horrible accident near Durham, all of which caused delays.  I watched as my ETA got closer and closer to the appointed time.  Finally, I called the Director of the library to let him know I'd be late for our appointment.  I got his voicemail!   Not knowing if he wouldlisten to his messages, I pressed on and arrived a few minutes after our appointment was scheduled. 

My purpose was to meet the Director, George Loveland and to discuss ways to streamline his ordering and cataloging procedure.  He told me that my earlier visit was during "FAST Week" when faculty and staff meet to plan the year's activities.  George and I have something in common--we both pastor two small churches.  George has just begun his ministerial training with a year at Hood Theological Seminary.  His wife, Tuck, is also a pastor and an Assistant District Superintendent.  I would have enjoyed spending the day learning from this humble leader but we had to get down to business.  I look forward to meeting with the rest of his team near the end of September.


By the time I reached my next stop, it was noon and time for lunch.  I checked for local eateries and found Shorty's Hot Dogs but when I drove by, the line was out the door.  So I went to a little place called "The Burger Shop."  It featured hand-made burgers servedwith a multitude of free toppings.  They also had fresh-squeezed lemonade.  I took my meal outside because the weather had changed dramatically for the better.  Seated at an outdoor table, I was immediately beset by a plague of the most aggressive flies I've ever seen!  Usually, a simple "shoo" will cause a fly to flee but not so with these insects.  They were houseflies with attitudes. 

My next stop was Southeastern Baptist Theoligical Seminary in the town of Wake Forest.  Wake Forest University is a fine institution begun by the Southern Baptist Convention and is located in Winston-Salem.  WFU began in the town of Wake Forest in 1834 and moved to Winston-Salem in 1956.  SBTS began in 1951 on the property which housed WFU.  It has grown and expanded over the years.  My best friend, Hank Williams (no not THAT Hank Williams), received his doctorate from SBTS and one of his sons is a current student in the Master's program there.  At SBTS, I met Steve Frary.  Steve has worked there for 18 years.  He clearly has the mission of the school in his heart.



Vance-Granville Community College is located in Henderson.  It is a beautiful

campus covered in shady hardwoods.  Almost every parking spot is "primo" because it's under a shade tree.  The library is part of a beautiful "quad" with benches and planters.  Elaine Stem is the director but she was hurrying to a meeting with school administrators so our conversation was very brief.

I suppose it's a good thing I did not tarry.  Most of the rest of my next journey was behind a fully-loaded logging truck on a curvy two-lane road.  I arrived very near the end of the day.

Wentworth is the home of Rockingham Community College.  There is a town in south-central North Carolina called Rockingham but it is in Richmond County.  I was interested in the connection so I did a little digging and discovered the town of Rockingham was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham and British Prime Minister from 1765 to 1766 and again in 1782.  Apparently,Wentworth took it's name from the same man and the county was thus named "Rockingham."  Mary Gomez is the director of the Library.

Travel was frustrating on this day.  But on the way home it occurred to me that in my brother's day, the distances I had covered would have been impossible in an entire week and the fact that I made the entire trip safely, met new friends and enjoyed beautiful weather was reason enough to give thanks.  And who knows, perhaps I learned some patience from my "bad dream."

A Prince of a Man

Throughout my travels, I have heard the name of my predecessor, Charlie Snider.  I think I can safely say that I have never known anyone as universally loved as Charlie.  During my travels this week, I learned why.

I picked up Charlie at his home near Lexington, NC.  It is a beautiful place located on the shores of High Rock Lake.  I met the true love of his life, Tamera.  She wished us "godspeed" and off we went.  From there we traveled through the country toward Sanford. I had my faithful guide with me but she was not needed as Charlie knew every turn and shortcut.  As we traveled, he talked of the people we would see on our travels.  His knowledge of them was more than just utilitarian information.  It was the kind of things you learn about a good friend.  Charlie's affection for the people he had visited for more than ten years was obvious and I could tell he wanted to get to see them as soon as possible.

Our first stop was in Sanford, at one of two branches of Central Carolina Community College.  Tara
Lucas is the Librarian for all of the Campuses.  She is a newly-wed and greeted Charlie with a hug and was obviously delighted to see him.  And here I learned one of Charlie's secrets.  Under my arm was a very official -looking satchel containing information about my employer.  Under Charlie's arm was a plastic grocery bag filled with little bags of treats.  Charlie counted one bag for each employee at the library, introduced me and then left us to talk about books.  It was this tiny personal touch that typifies Charlie's approach to people. He likes them personally and shows it in as many ways as he can.

While at CCCC, I also met the young lady in charge of ordering books, Jessica Walshaw.  Jessica, like me, is an aspiring writer.  I encouraged her to write, even as I am doing now, to learn the craft of writing.

From the Lee County Campus in Sanford, we traveled a few miles to the Harnette County Campus in Lillington.  Jennifer Seagraves is the Director and she was busy taking photo-ID's for all the incoming students so I only had a brief introduction.  The woman in charge of acquiring the books is Babara Bera.  She is new to the job, taking over from another Barbara--Wood.

Charlie and I then traveled to Buies Creek, the home of Campbell University.  I had visited CU one other time when my nephew graduated from there.  He has become extremely successful in banking and much of his success can be traced to his business professors at Campbell.  Another friend is a lawyer and judge.  She was a graduate of the Charter Class of the Campbell Law School.  Finally, one of the finest young women I know graduated from there with a degree in Spanish.  She has demonstrated the grace of self-sacrifice I have rarely ever seen.  So when I traveled to Campbell, I was pretty positively inclined toward the school.  Those inclinations were reinforced when I met the woman in charge of acquiring the books for the libraries of the University, Michelle Gregory.  Once again, Charlie was able to recall information about her sons and their plans for education that indicated his genuine concern for her and her family.  Michelle took us upstairs to meet the director of the Library, Borree Kwok.

After lunch, we traveled back toward home to Pinehurst and Sandhills Community College.  Pinehurst is known as "the cradle of American Golf."  In the 1890's, a Boston Philanthropist built a New England-style village and imported golf from Scotland to America.  Donald Ross designed the first course and it opened in 1901.  Since then, the Pinehurst courses have been host to many of golf's greatest stars and tournaments.  Another transplanted Yankee is the director of Sandhills Community College library, Dr. John Stacey.  He is ably assisted by Micky Konold and Patty Buelt, the head librarian.
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As we headed back toward Lexington, Charlie headed down memory lane.  He took my book of libraries and began to tell story after story of people with whom he had worked over the years.  He gave me insights about both current friends and libraries where I might be able to help them find the books they need.  My day with Charlie began where it had begun; by the lake.  But I had something I didn't have when I had arrived that morning; a new friend, Charlie Snider.

I still had a ways to go to reach my home and as those miles rolled by, I had the opportunity to reflect on Charlie and me.  Obviously, I can't be Charlie.  He is "one-of-a-kind".  But I can be inspired to love people more personally the way Charlie does.  You can take away the little bags of candy and even the winning personality and Charlie is still going to care about these people even though they are no longer his responsibility.

Out to sea!

 I've traveled East and West and North and South and even Up but today I went to sea!  The day began very early because my travels led me to the far eastern end of the state near the Pamlico Sound.  On the way, I stopped in Wilson, NC at Historic Barton College.  Barton College was named Atlantic Christian up until 1990.  It was begun by the Disciples of Christ denomination in 1902 and was renamed to honor Barton Stone, a founder of the denomination.  Stone was one of the leaders of the Second Great Awakening and was especially active in the Cane Ridge Revival.  Barton Stone eventually began a new denomination based solely on Scripture rather than a creed.  



Lunch was at Smithfield's Chicken and Barbecue in Havelock.  Initially, I ordered Barbecue Chicken but I met the manager, Mr. Sills, and he suggested I get a combination plate that would include both pork and chicken.  I'm glad I did.  The "barbecued chicken" was fried chicken dipped in spicy barbecue sauce--sort of like Buffalo wings.  The pork was "Eastern Style" with a surprisingly "hot" vinegar sauce.

My next stop was just outside of Grantsboro at Pamlico Community College.  Jane Whitley is the Director and has a great idea about allowing the community near PCC to use the campus library much like the county library (which is 11 miles away.)  Her motivation for doing so is clearly a desire to see more people read!  I mentioned that my next stop was in Morehead City and she quickly informed me that a ferry would take me across the Neuse River and save me a fifty mile trip.  
It was a only a few miles to the Ferry and I waited a few minutes for the "Floyd J. Lupton" to arrive.  The North Carolina Ferry System runs 22 boats on seven regular routes across five bodies of water: Currituck and Pamlico Sounds, and the Cape Fear, Neuse, and Pamlico Rivers. The ferries transport about 850,000 vehicles and two million passengers a year, making it the second largest state-run ferry system in the United States.  The system began in the mid-1920s, when Captain J.B. "Toby" Tillett began a tug and barge service across Oregon Inlet.  In 1934, the Highway department began
subsidizing Captain Tillett's business to keep the rates affordable.  The 25 minute trip across the Neuse was certainly affordable--it was free!
Carteret Community College is located on the banks of the Bogue Sound.  I'm not sure, if this was the view out of my classroom window, I could keep my focus on my studies.  Perhaps the students at CCC are more disciplined than I.  I hope they haven't simply gotten used to this kind of beauty.
The trip home was over 300 miles.  I thought about how such a distance in a single day would have been unfathomable to Captain Tillett.  Whether distance or beauty, we tend to get used to the things (and people) we are around regularly.  It takes an intentional effort to keep the important things fresh and new in our eyes.    

The Research Triangle

One of the first churches my father served was in the little town of Roxboro.  I was too young to remember any of this but Dad told that when they moved there, there was no indoor plumbing in the parsonage so he enclosed the back porch and installed one.  As I traveled yesterday to visit the library at Piedmont Community College, my guide took me there on roads that did little to dispel that narrative.  I passed fields of tobacco and corn and saw little to suggest the progressive community I discovered.

The two previous librarians at PCC have retired but I met a wonderful, young woman named Vanessa Bass who has been recently promoted to the head job.  I was able to visit for a few minutes between groups of students receiving their orientation to the campus.

It was on my way out of town and toward Durham that I saw the town of Roxboro as a thriving community, almost all with indoor plumbing!

Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill are known as "The Research Triangle."  These three cities are home to three of North Carolina's great universities. Durham Technical Community College is one of ten colleges and twelve other universities which serve in the shadow of these "Big Three."  The Library was closed but the door was open.  Both librarians were gone but I had the extremely good fortune to meet Marcia Navarro, the principle of the Middle College High School located on the campus of DTCC.  Her office is in the Library.
"MCHS at Durham Technical Community College is a magnet high school for juniors and seniors. Our student body consists of students from Durham Public Schools, Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools. Students apply to be part of the MCHS community where they take both community college and honors level high school courses."

Chapel Hill is home to the University of North Carolina.  To say that I am a fan of the school would be like saying my brother is a fan of Arminius.  I was thrilled to go to the Law School Library.  I wasn't familiar with the campus so I asked a young man for directions.  He turned out to be a visiting professor from Vanderbilt University in Nashville and was on his way to the Library!  When I arrived, I met Julie Kimbrough, the Deputy Director and she introduced me to Katherine Orth, who handles acquisitions.  Katherine is a UNC alum and quite obviously proud of her school.  After we had discussed business, Katherine walked me over to the main campus library.  Such courtesy and helpfulness is rare and should be praised.

Lunch was a delightful meal at Jasmin's in Raleigh.  Jasmin's features Mediterranean food including Lebanese falafal and Greek gyros.

Another of those Universities is Meredith College.  Chartered in 1891, the school was the vision of Thomas Meredith, founder of the Biblical Recorder, who called on the Baptist State Convention to establish an institution to provide "a first-rate course of female education."  Long a "female only" school, Meredith began admitting men to the graduate programs and granted four men MBA's in 2002.
My final stop was at another of the ten colleges--Wake Technical College where Julia Meilesh is the Director.  While waiting to see Ms. Melish, I perused a publication by the College of writing, poetry and photography done by students.  It showed real talent and belies the myth that technical schools only produce plumbers and welders.  Plumbers and welders can write too!

The Far West

When people talk about the breadth of North Carolina, they often say, "from Murphy to Manteo."  Today, I went to Murphy.  It is just about as far west as you can go without crossing the border into Tennessee.  It is a beautiful drive on Highway 19 through the Nantahala National Forest and alongside the Nantahala River.




It was well worth the trip as I encountered Katrina Miller and Linda Kressal at the Tri-County Community College just outside Murphy.  Tri-County Community College serves the counties of:  Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties and is a part of the outstanding Community College system in North Carolina.







I backtracked to Bryson City to visit the Fontana Regional Library Office located on the backside of the Bryson City Public Library.  The Fontana Regional Library (FRL) system connects the six public libraries in Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties into a system of libraries and provides administrative services for all of them.  Parked beside the building was a "bookmobile."  It is a converted delivery truck used to take books to places where getting to a library would be difficult.  Diann Ball is a wonderful advocate for books and libraries.



I enjoyed lunch at a place I'd been before--Jimmy Mac's.  The last time I ate there I was in my pajamas!  Let me explain.  Bryson City is home to the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad.  It's a year-round tourist attraction but at Christmas GSMR transforms into the Polar Express!  Last Christmas, my wife and I took our granddaughter to ride on the Polar Express and they encourage everyone to do so in their pajamas (like they did in the book.). It was great fun and after wards, we had dinner at Jimmy Mac's.  Interestingly, the original "Polar Express" (PM 1225) has been restored and is in Owosso, Michigan, the headquarters for the company for whom I work.  One of the principals helped with the restoration of the engine.  Chris Van Allsburg, who wrote the book, "The Polar Express" grew up in the area near Owosso.

My final stop was in the town of Flat Rock at the Blue Ridge Community College.  The Library was closed until August 12th but Susan Williams saw me and allowed me to visit for a few minutes.  The campus is not only a place students come to take classes but it is also a hub of community and regional activity for many. 

Journey to the Center

My travels have taken me north, south, east, west and even UP! But today I traveled to the center. The day began with a beautiful drive to the edge of the mountains to visit the library at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro. It is a college built on the side of a mountain and one student said it was "uphill everywhere you go!" Christy Earp is the Director and Rebecca Kruger handles the acquisitions. Both women love the mountains and their enthusiasm for books and students was evident.
Guilford College in Greensboro was founded by the Quakers in 1837. The Quakers have always been non-conformists. They rejected the authority of the Church of England in the 1600's along with the rituals and even the clergy. So for an anti-slavery community to exist in the South was consistent with their heritage. Today Guilford College is a modern campus offering a world-class education in an urban setting. But the buildings have maintained the look and feel of the Quaker heritage and all the campus streets are named for famous Quakers like George Fox. The Library was in the midst of renovation and the librarian was on vacation but I enjoyed visiting the alma mater of one of my mentors, Paul Baker Wood.
A few miles away and one year later, the Methodists (my brother's movement) founded Greensboro College. It is in the heart of the city of Greensboro and proudly provides a liberal-arts education designed to produce well-rounded students who are able to contribute to all of society, not just their single are of training and expertise. The librarian, William Ritter, looks like a student himself but was hard at work at the front desk during the summer lull before classes begin next month.

Now we get to the title of this blog. The town of Asheboro claims to be the geographic center of the state of North Carolina. Since King George's instructions were not followed explicitly, the boundaries of North Carolina are a bit "whoppy-jawed." But Asheboro claims to be in the exact center. Asheboro is also where I graduated High School.




















But my purpose in going was to meet the fine librarians at Randolph Community College. Debbie Luck is married to a potter from nearby Seagrove (http://discoverseagrove.com/). She and Pam Pollard are barbeque snobs like me and they recommended Henry James Barbeque. HJB has the best hushpuppies I've eaten in a long time and I had the good fortune to meet some of the late Henry James' family members who stopped by to eat lunch.



Just across the street from RCC, is the Richard Petty Educational Center. The Petty Family is from nearby Level Cross, NC and has business interests all over the area.










It is a short drive to Troy the home of the Montgomery Community College. Deborah Ashby is the librarian and explained how the direction of MCC had changed over the years to a school providing technical training including a rather renowned "gunsmithing" school.





Stanley Community College is located in Albemarle. It is there I met Sharon Faulkner who retired as the Montgomery Community College librarian and now works part-time at SCC.
My final stop was at Pfeiffer University. It was established in 1885, once again, by the people of my brother's movement--the Methodist Church. I had a friend named June Hardin from high school who attended there.
While I was eating lunch at Henry James Barbeque, I began to think of people I knew in high school and whether any of them still lived in Asheboro and if any of them would come into the restaurant. I discovered something interesting about my self. As people would enter the restaurant, I looked for people who resembled a high school version of my friends rather than people who are in their mid-sixties like me. Hope springs eternal,I suppose.

Goings and Comings

With great sadness I announce the demise of my guide and traveling companion, Zelda G.P.S.Tomtom. Zelda served me and others faithfully (if not always cheerfully--she could become a bit testy at times) guiding us to our appointed destinations. She suffered a "bug" of some sort when rendered her useless since she no longer contained a map of the United States. Despite numerous attempts to revive her, she was unable to recover. I will miss her Easter European accent telling me where to turn and to "be careful." My new assistant does not have the personality of Zelda but is quite accurate and more patient with me.

By contrast, it is with great gladness that I announce that I have a new ride. My old Chevy Tracker developed an expensive problem and thrift suggested I not invest more money in repairs. Some very good friends (Jack and Bart), who's names sound like they came out of an old western, found an excellent vehicle which I think suits my personality.

My first stop was at another of the Old North State's community colleges. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in Salisbury serves students from the surrounding counties by being conveniently located just off the Interstate highway. I have extended family members who live in that area and have attended that school. Both of the librarians I needed to see were away but I was greeted by Lisa Shores who grew up in nearby China Grove.

Just on the other side of the interstate was Hood Theological Seminary. Because it is located behind the Offices of the Lutheran Synod offices, I assumed it was a seminary for training Lutheran Pastors. I was delighted to learn that HTS has her roots in my brother's movement! "Founded and sponsored by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (A.M.E. Zion) Church, the Seminary has a special—but not exclusive—interest in training those who minister with and among historically marginalized communities, and those who work in a pastoral or secular capacity during their seminary education. The African American church’s historic insistence on recognizing the social, political, economic, and global implications of the gospel, the A.M.E. Zion identity as the “Freedom Church,” and the Methodist focus on scriptural holiness with personal and social responsibility shape the emphases in the theological curriculum." "The Seminary bears the name of a renowned bishop of the denomination, James Walker Hood, who inspired others in the denomination to join with him in creating an institution for the training of Negro youths for the Christian ministry. In 1879 those pioneers created the Zion Wesley Institute in Concord, NC. Three years later, by invitation of the citizens of Salisbury, they relocated the Institute to this city. Under the leadership of its first president, Dr. Joseph Charles Price, the Institute was chartered by the State of North Carolina in 1887 and renamed Livingstone College in honor of Scottish physician and explorer of central and southern Africa, Dr. David Livingstone. Livingstone College is located just around the corner.

A few miles away is Catawba College. In the early days of our nation's history, German settlers from Eastern Pennsylvania traveled to Piedmont North Carolina to live. They brought with them a strong Reformed heritage and a desire to see their young people educated. At first they sent their young back north for school but in 1851, they opened Catawba College in nearby Newton. The school was named for the native Americans who lived in the area. In 1925, the school relocated to Salisbury and affiliated with the Church of Christ.

I then traveled north to the city of High Point to Laurel University. Laurel began as a Bible College in nearby Greensboro and changed it's name to "John Wesley College" when it moved to High Point. Just a few days ago, the school's trustees voted to change it's name BACK to "John Wesley." I know nothing of "why" but it makes me proud to see my brother's name on any institution of higher learning.

Winston-Salem is an odd pairing. "Salem" comes from the Moravian community and "Winston" is the name of a cigarette. Salem College is located in the heart of "Old Salem" which is both a historic preservation of the early days of the Moravians as well as the current "mother Church" for Moravians in the area. On Easter, the town welcomes guests by the thousands to a "Sunrise Service" which features a brass band and a commemoration of the Resurrection at "God's Acre"--the Moravian Cemetery. As an historic site, the buildings have been preserved but the Salem College Library is a modern facility on the inside of one of those preserved buildings. Peter Austin is in charge of acquisitions and is a native of the Asheville area where I used to live. I regret that I did not take a picture while at Salem College. It is a beautiful and historic campus.

While watching the Republican National Convention this week, I heard the woman who announced the NC delegate count say that there were more Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) in North Carolina than any other state. There are twelve. HBCU's are schools founded before 1964 primarily to serve the black community. One such University was my next stop, Winston-Salem State University. It is located, appropriately, on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and from what I could see, serves a diverse student body. It is a beautiful campus with wide pedestrian mall. Neither of the directors were present but everyone in the library was very helpful.

Lunch was a serendipitous event. As I was leaving the WSSU campus, I saw a hot dog vendor. I circled the block to meet Frank of Frank's Frankfurters. He served two Nathan's hot dogs with the kind of slaw that has both mayonnaise and mustard in it. Delicious!

My final stop was in Surry County at the Surry Community College in the town of Dobson. The drive from Winston-Salem to Dobson approaches a picturesque view of Pilot Mountain. Pilot Mountain and nearby Mount Airy are famous as both the real hometown and the setting for Andy Griffith's television show. Once again, both of the directors I needed to see were away (it is, after all, still summer and classes are not in session). The two people working in the library were most helpful, including Maria who hails from Columbia. As I drove home I reflected on the people who started these institutions I visit. All of them understood the value of education for both sustainability and progress.