By Mark Plemmons
Twenty-five years ago, much like Dec. 7, 1941, Sept. 11, 2001 plunged the U.S. into a war, a war we are still fighting today.
We don’t have the clearly defined enemies of World War II. Sometimes it seems we are fighting ourselves. We fight the war every time we travel to see loved ones or go to an out-of-town ball game. Is that well-tanned guy in line in front of me with an accent the enemy? War is fought in countless little ways, not just by dropping bombs.
If we let it, the world becomes a sad place. Social media is filled with rants against Islam this week (honestly, most weeks too) – or anybody that’s different than us.
Alan Jackson wrote a song about that day in September: “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning.” He said the song came to him in the middle of the night after he had been to church with his family. He outlines many things people might have been doing that day and their reactions – from patriotism to buying a gun to tuning out to watch “I Love Lucy” reruns on TV.
Bob Brown and I were on the air doing “The Bob & Mark Show” on WEGO-AM 1410. Our friend Ed Sinclair called just before I was going on the air with the 9 a.m. news. “Turn on the TV, a plane hit the World Trade Center,” Ed said. We did, and we spent the rest of the day covering the attacks.
The Cabarrus County Fair was going on, and my family was planning to go that night. I didn’t go, but Kim and the kids went. When they got home, I was watching “I Love Lucy” reruns.
I’m sad today. How do we break the cycle of war and hate? We can’t keep living the Old Testament way of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and others have said something similar to this: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth leave the world blind and toothless.”
Where does it end?
Well, this is supposed to be a column about five things, so let’s outline five things we can do to change our world in a little way or at least feel a little better.
No. 1
Go to the Cabarrus County Fair. It’s today, Sept. 11, through Saturday, Sept. 19. Check the prize winners and read the names. Celebrate your neighbors’ accomplishments (and yours if you entered) and have fun. See friendly faces and run into people you might not have seen for a while.
No. 2
Go to the Art Walk on Union Saturday. Same: see friendly faces and run into people you might not have seen in a while. Smile at someone different than you and say “howdy” if you feel inclined.
Saturday’s Art Walk is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Downtown Concord.
No. 3
Walk through your neighborhood. It’s a great chance to see what’s happening, get a little exercise, and possibly meet some of your neighbors. Catch up on some good gossip. It doesn’t have to be anything bad.
It’s good to talk with your neighbors. You never know what good things you’ll find out.
No. 4
Check out a book from the library or buy a book. I can’t imagine not being able to read. Think about how limiting that is to your imagination. You don’t have to check out a physical book if you use a Kindle or other reading device.
Have you tried an audiobook? I got one a few weeks ago, and it was good having someone read to me. Do you remember your teacher, mom, or dad reading to you? One teacher I had at French Broad Elementary read us “Tom Sawyer.” It was usually a short passage each day, but we always begged her to read more, and on special days we got more than a short passage.
My daughter Jordan showed me a trick – you can change the speed of the reader. She reads/listens at about 1.5 speed (50 percent faster). I can’t go that fast. My setting is 1.3.
No. 5
Go to a special event. Our friend Pat Mantooth, who passed recently, loved going to school plays, and we went with her a few times. All our schools do them. I wish they would publicize them more.
Kim and I have been to a few over the years. Next time your school is doing a play or a musical, let me know. I will try to spread the word. I know these kids get a lot out of performing, and the audiences do too.
Here’s a special event for you: Chris Miller with The Cabarrus Compass posted a story earlier this week about the Deana Irvin Symposium, which the Friends of the Concord Library holds annually. Author David Joy, a N.C. native, is the headliner along with Goldberry Books co-owner and podcaster David Kern.
The registration deadline is Sept. 24 for the event, which will be Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Cabarrus Country Club. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at concordfriendsofthelibrary.com/
I wish I could go, but I have a conflict that night.
I recently read David’s book “Where All Light Tends to Go.” It was a good read, but intense. There is a movie about it with Billy Bob Thornton. Right before that, I had read books by other N.C. authors, Ron Rash and Wiley Cash – all with similar intensity to Joy. I am taking a break from these guys, but plan to go back and read more of their work.
Right now, I’m about halfway through Archer Sullivan’s new book, “Brimstone Hollow.” It is the second in a series. The first was “The Witch’s Orchard,” which I loved. She used to live in Black Mountain.
Kim and I are going to see Kristy Woodson Harvey on Monday in Mount Pleasant. It is a fundraiser for the Friends of the Mount Pleasant Library. Tickets are in short supply. Here is the link to buy them (if still available): https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/kristy-woodson-harvey
Kristy is a Salisbury native and lives in Beaufort, N.C. She is a New York Times bestseller, and the $40 includes her new book “Falling for Peachtree Bluff,” which comes out next week.
The event is a fundraiser for the 2027 Mt. Pleasant Literary Festival: Chapter 3: The Plot Thickens (coming March 18-20, 2027).
This must read like somebody yelled “Squirrel!” several times. If you made it this far, thank you. Don’t let the world stop turning. Be the good in the world.
If you have something for the Friday Five or something for me to rant about, email Plemmons.mark@gmail.com or call or text 704-786-0001.
Thank you! Your Friday Five feels like you're enjoying a bit more freedom and a bit more space to express yourself. I've always looked forward to Friday Five, now even more!
I'm tickled for the Cabarrus Compass and for Cabarrus County that your voice will still be heard, Mark! Thanks, Chris!