Back to “It’s So Small!”

Posted on November 3, 2011 by yarnspinnerpress

— the nation’s capitol, that is. Heading into town, we drove right by the Pentagon, caught a glimpse of the 9/11 memorial, whizzed by the back side of the Lincoln and into town, waved at the White House and the state department and landed at G W, otherwise known as George Washington University. Soon discovered that my best work could be as easily done, and without the distraction of sightseeing opportunities at my desk at the Homewood Suites. I partook of the catalogs of the Library of Congress and the National Archives in search of material for the project, but found little worth the trek into the city to get paper copies. In fact, I am making more progress here at home, at trip’s end. More on that later. But the stay in Washington was fruitful, nonetheless, for I collected many conversations and shared stories, some of them regarding underground railroad and slavery days near my own home town. All fodder for the mill, Then it was the weekend, and time to catch the train to Boston, or nearby.

-m

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First impression of DC — It’s so small!

Posted on November 2, 2011 by yarnspinnerpress

Arrived in Falls Church late in the day and met Judy’s husband, mother and father-in-law at an Olive Garden restaurant for supper.  Judy’s mother, Lucille, was a friend and mentor to a trio of too-smart teenagers, including me, as we were growing up. One of my fondest memories of her was sitting at the supper table late at night and Lucille wearily asking “Aren’t you girls ever going to hush?” She’s now 92 and wheelchair-bound, but her mind is still quite spry. It was delightful to see her and share memories. It was equally sweet to meet for more than a minute husband Bill and his father, Charlie. Bill’s a handsome dude with a quick mind that stays occupied designing web sites and studying all things computer. He helped me pick out the right Kindle, so I didn’t spend a chunk and got what worked best for me. This was made necessary when I finally consolidated my books carried along or acquired on the trip, and they weighed more than 40 pounds! Enough! From now on, when I buy books, it’ll be because I like the feel of the paper. And BTW, did you know that the classics, or anything out of copyright, goes for $2 or less? Many are free. First thing I ordered was Robinson Crusoe.

And I forgot to add, Charlie, a slightly addled retired aviator who has a fondness for Mazeratis and who looks and sounds eerily like President Carter. A fine bunch, and it was splendid to have time with them.

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Norfolk; (NOR-fk)

Posted on October 27, 2011 by yarnspinnerpress

Norfolk (NOR-fk) is delightful, what I saw of it. We landed at Colin and Julie’s house and met up with Judy Findlay, my pal from high school days, and one of the few people I can’t match when it comes to travel stories. She can wield destinations like Ethiopia, India, Pakistan and South Africa without working up a sweat. We began what ended up a three-day talk, stopping only to eat and to invite Margaret’s friend Ann Dearsley-Vernon to the table for more talking. A very happy time, punctuated by evening sleepovers at the Page House, a Victorian bed and breakfast too perfect for words. Ann gave a fascinating account of her decision, with two classmates, to join the sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro. She was quick to downplay her role, which functioned to bring the action as a whole out of the local papers and into international scrutiny. She said, “but I wasn’t brave enough to go back.” She didn’t have to . The deed was done. Next, we say goodbye to Margaret, and Judy and I head for DC.

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Thoughts and Points of View on the Presidency

Posted on October 26, 2011 by yarnspinnerpress

The next day, after re-running the gauntlet, dropping off the car and stopping by for lunch and a private interview with Signe, we were off to Norfolk (pronounced, I learned, NOR-fk). All went well until we turned off I-85 onto Virginia Highway 58, where we were obliged to cool our heels on the off ramp for about 20 minutes until a Big Black Bus and Barack passed by. Then we followed him some miles as he headed for another speaking engagement. All along the way, in driveways, at intersections and everywhere a car could be parked, there were people, virtually all black people shepherded by state troopers, county deputies and random emergency vehicles, waiting just to see the bus pass by. I love it that we live in a country where a black man can, albeit with some difficulty, gain the office of the presidency. And he said something out there on the trail that I heard because I watched the local news. He said, “I’m not the Democratic President or the Republican President. I’m the President.” Amen to that. Don’cha wish these craven dogs that line the congress could remember for a minute that they are there to serve the will of all the people, not just their cronies and the bagmen that provide their corporate lucre? Well, don’t get me started. But I was highly amused to be repeatedly inconvenienced by the Presidential convoy. If I’m gonna be held up, it’s my privilege. He’s my guy.

-M

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America’s Greenest

Posted on October 25, 2011 by yarnspinnerpress

Due to some chaos at Margaret’s house, I was ensconced in an impressive edifice called the Proximity Hotel, billed as America’s greenest. And it was. Instead of bottled water there was a fancy filter across the hall next to the ice machine and a pitcher in every room. I got into town late and had expectations of dropping off the rental car the next day. But I slept late and the meeting with Signe Waller and a group of her friends ran long, so it didn’t get done. After leaving Signe’s home, we went for dinner and headed for the hotel and my very green room. But they wouldn’t let us in. Go around back, they said. This entrance is closed. I asked the very serious cop what was happening, and he said ” The President’s in town.” Holy smoke!

After drug sniffing dogs and bomb experts had examined the car and we’d gone through metal detectors and a gauntlet of secret service mammoths, we got in, Margaret bade farewell and I got to sleep under the same roof as the Prez. Pretty damn cool.

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Onward to Margaret’s House!

Posted on October 24, 2011 by yarnspinnerpress

Atlanta is a jumble  in my mind, except for some very clear images. Sitting in Barbara and Whitt’s living room amid all the art and color, playing sweet music and singing with people just met and known forever, until the wee hours. I’ll be back in that room someday. And the archives at Emory, where Tory, Jonathan and I spent large parts of three days combing through records, finding new information as well as threads linking the new to the already collected and the things we knew we’d need but couldn’t get to on this first trip. We were there long enough to find our way around, sample the south’s best barbecue and discover a dear little falafel shop just outside the university gates. Delicious. Productive. Too soon over. But then it was time to ferry Tory and Jonathan to the airport, sleep one last long and heavy sleep, and head northeast, through the Carolinas to Margaret’s house in Greensboro.

-M

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Heading South, 6

Posted on October 21, 2011 by yarnspinnerpress
My first impulse, when discovering all the good and difficult work that SPLC does, was to come home, sell the house, store my stuff and come back down here and volunteer, because these guys (a figure of speech for which I apologize. There are plenty of gutsy women here) are having all the fun. Given my 20 or so years as a journalist, I know that the cream of the assignments is the investigative piece, and these folks get the best of all –rooting out liars and haters and evildoers and their works, and then ratting on them in very big ways. I love it.
Due to the nature of their work, and the absolutely evil people they work to expose, I will not name names here. But we met a brave fellow who is in daily jeopardy because he is able to rattle off the entire history of “christian identity” movement and its string of weird whoppers that “prove” white people are the real lost tribes of Israel and the Jews are Satan-made automatons (i.e. not really people, so we can kill them and god won’t care). You wanta talk Satan-made? I don’t think I even believed in Satan until I heard about these guys. But I digress. Just let me say that if you’re appalled at the rise of hate and fear in this country, put SPLC on your Christmas list. These folks are doing the work that most critically needs doing, despite frequent death threats and living in a fortress that protects them from another bombing (the last one destroyed their old HQ.) Most folks would have left town. But instead, we spent the day in the delightful company of a young woman who moved here a year ago to take a job with this group, and is about as fired up as anyone I’ve met in the service of, oddly enough, truth and the American Way. Happy Trails and long, unharmed life, Leah. We won’t soon forget you.
-m
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