I’ve lived in Raleigh since moving to the Triangle more than 20 years ago. Raleigh is a nice place. It was convenient to our workplaces and, when our son came along, we enrolled him in school there. We live in a nice, walkable, suburban neighborhood with decent sized lots and mature trees. . It’s pleasant, quiet, and well, a little dull. My husband calls it the “beige suburban purgatory” and he’s not wrong but it is home for now.
We always knew that, deep down, we were Chapelboro types. Not only did the aesthetic suit us better -the place is anything but beige – we were Canadians and we knew that, when we were there, we were among friends. Eventually, we made connections there and thought about moving several times. Our son had close friends in Raleigh and we did what we thought best for him. Though our hearts were in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, our home would remain in Raleigh.
A few years back, I took a job with a small company with a very conservative owner. He was portly, red-faced, and pleasant enough – and very free with his political opinions. On the rare occasion that we had business to do in Carrboro, he would inevitably refer to it as “The People’s Republic” because of its left-leaning reputation. He thought he was hilarious with that remark and every time he repeated it, he’d look at me for a reaction because he suspected that I might be *one of those*. I had learned to keep my politics to myself and I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of getting a rise out of me, so I just kept my head down and let it roll off.
A few months ago, I left that job and after surveying the landscape, I decided to take a job in Carrboro. Our son is a teen and I have the freedom to work wherever I wanted. This time, I looked for a situation where I’d be with like-minded people. Carrboro Realty fit the bill perfectly.
A couple of days after I joined the firm, I told the owners, Cyndi and Tom, about the “People’s Republic of Carrboro” barb. They laughed. To them, it wasn’t an insult at all. They embraced it. They love Carrboro for all that it is – cool, creative, and progressive. “You know what we should do?” Cyndi replied, “We should make t-shirts!” I thought I couldn’t possibly like these people more but the grace and good humor they showed confirmed that I found the place that I’d been looking for – the place where I belonged.
We took delivery of our first shirts last week. This morning, I delivered one to WCHL DJ and friend-to-all, Ron Stutts and he received it with the same great humor. We have many requests for the shirts from friends and clients now. I love that folks have turned it into a winking badge of honor, especially in this time we’re in, and it reminds me why I originally fell in love with Chapelboro. What an amazing and special place with the most wonderful people. So glad to be here!