Celebrate?
A last evening in my hometown, with a note of celebration. We finished two days dedicated to visiting with my sister. She and I are separated by distance which equates to the passage of time with too little contact. Not nearly enough can be forced into two days to remedy the loss. But we tried.
Tonight we made reservations at the Counting Room restaurant which is associated with the 21C Museum gallery. It was a rare occasion of fine dining for us. The atmosphere of the dining room of the main floor of the old bank, thus the “Counting Room” designation, was extraordinary. The walls were decorated with life-sized surreal sculptural treatment of wild animals. I need not add that the food was delicious and expensive.
While we walked along Main Street to our destination I considered that Durham where I was raised is visibly on its way to becoming another 21st century megopolis. In the near future the city will be similar to Atlanta or Miami, a city of shining lights. The prosperity of those on the street, and the development around us was plain to see. At Five Points we passed an American flag and a flag of the city of Durham, illuminated, briskly flying.
A sense of loss came over me. Just a few days ago a Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in a blatant, heinous fashion by a close ally of the United States. It seemed right and proper that every American flag should be flying at half staff.
Do we live in a democratic republic that is vitally dependent upon a free press? Or do we live in a nascent tyranny?
