Back To My Roots in North Carolina

by Barb Compton

As a child growing up in a small town in North Carolina, I always dreamed of traveling and
seeing other places that I’d only read about, or seen pictured in magazines. (My family did not
own a TV until I was going on 17 years old, as my mother thought having a television in the
house was akin to inviting the devil to live with us.) When my father brought one home, there
were fireworks, and for months, it was only turned on when he did so, and if he left the room, she
would turn it off immediately. That old black and white TV allowed me to learn more about the
wider world, but never intrigued me with the beauty of color.

A week or so into my senior year of high school, my father was offered (and accepted) a job in
northern VA, only a few miles from Washington, D.C. My mother was even more upset about
moving away from all that was familiar to her, than she had been about having a television in the
house! While she dragged her feet about packing for the move, and cried gallons of tears, my
father went to VA and boarded with a former co-worker, to try the new job and location. Packing
and choosing what to take and what to leave with other family members, or give away became
frenzied when he called to say he had leased a house, and would be there the following weekend
to collect the family for the move. Until that moment, I believe my mother simply believed he
would change his mind and return to NC to live.

Six weeks into my final year of school, I was beginning at a new, much larger school, where I
only knew 3 or 4 people – I had met and became better acquainted with them, during church
youth camps in the previous years. I will never forget my first views of the Jefferson Memorial
and other places in our nation’s capital, and how excited I was to see them. And, the following
spring, I believed nothing could be more beautiful than the Jefferson Memorial, framed by the
Japanese cherry blossoms. I loved sightseeing in D.C. on weekends, and seeing so many people
from around the world, many of whom wore their colorful and exotic native garb. I was “high”
on my new experiences, and later moved into my own apartment only a few blocks from the bank

where I worked. Even though I loved living and working there, I also continued to dream of
some day traveling to other places.

After Bill and I married, we moved near his duty station in Maryland, later to Memphis, TN and
on to San Diego. Driving across country, we didn’t see nearly enough to suit me, as we had very
limited money and little time, and Bill needed to report to his next duty station quickly. Through
the years, I was generally excited about each move, and the thought of seeing and living in new
places. Even though we had visited some of my family here in NC a few times, I was always
happy when the visit ended, and we could get out of here! I never thought I would voluntarily
live in NC again, and certainly never wanted to live in my hometown again!

Then, four months ago, we made the decision to leave New Mexico and move to NC!! When I
called my aunt to tell her the news, she was thrilled and told me it was about time I returned to
my roots. When Bill flew East to look for a house, we knew the general area we were interested
in, but I repeatedly reminded him that Thomasville was my LAST choice, and would only
consider it, IF there were absolutely nothing available in any of the other towns!

Fortunately, after looking around the area, Bill determined he was most interested in a small town
named Spencer, and he found a few houses here that he liked, but only one that met all our
requirements at a price we could afford. It has been far more work than I expected, and there is
still too much work to be done, but it’s looking better each day and keeping us busy. However, I
am loving the wildlife we have in the yard and all the GREEN that is around us – quite a change
from living in New Mexico. And, our three cats have been fascinated with all the various birds,
dozens of squirrels, and even a couple of rabbits. As soon as the interior is finished, my next goal
is to expand the “habitat” for the wildlife, and I hope to have a nice hummingbird and butterfly
garden by next summer.