Driving home on Glenwood, from Raleigh to Durham.

This low thunder quiet Fall September evening is pregnant with my earliest Durham NC memories. When I arrived here in October 1995 my brother and me along with mutual friends would drive down to Raleigh to catch a show at the Brewery. 70 was the route we took. This evening, coming back from a training class on Millbrook and Creedmoor in Raleigh I was reminded of those evenings. Many that know me well also know that I have not been uber keen on Durham lately. This drive home changed something deep within me. I fell in love with Durham again.

A car was stalled out in the left lane of 70 West, right at the Wake/Durham line. This was perfect rush hour timing but lucky for the driver he was in the West-bound lanes of 70. There was no safe way to get out and push the vehicle into the grassy knoll between the east and westbound lanes of Route 70 so I called 911 to get the driver some help from the Sheriff. Forced to slow down, it was impossible not to take in the oil painting beautiful canvas of puffy cumuli nimbus clouds parting to allow patches of blue. Slowing down on 70 was the perfect prescriptive for me.

Did I almost forget to mention my favorite drive that took me to Glenwood? There is a lushly beautiful Pine, Cedar and Oak lined thick lane of Millbrook that is my all-time favorite Raleigh section drive. The trees along the steep grassy banks are several stands verdant and deep, dark brown. Something so smoothly old Raleigh beautiful about this stretch of highway. Those that know me well, know that Raleigh has been my place for business meetings rather than my destination place. Who needs to leave Durham, right?

On the way into downtown Durham on Holloway Street, Mae’s Barbeque, red brick, and barred windows. boarded-up homes abandoned lots. several burned-out windows. The east Durham that is not on the gentrification track.

Durham is my home today. I have been running away from you lately but something keeps pulling me back. Thank you, Durham for so many incredible memories, great people, beautiful Eno River, Duke University, Patanjali’s Place, King’s Black bean burger, 9th Street old, Regulator Bookshop, International Delights Emjadarrah, Emad, NCCU, North Durham neighborhoods, Southwest Durham. DBAP.