A Place To Call Home

      I am a small town girl. I hail from a little dot on the map called Westernport in the beautiful mountains of western Maryland. I have lived in quite a few cities and larger towns but I guess I never really felt at home in any of them. You can take the girl out of the small town but not the town out of the girl. :) I currently reside in a modest sized military town located in the coastal region of North Carolina. My family and I have lived here eleven years. The name of it is Havelock. It is not uncommon to hear folks from neighboring towns refer to it as “Havenot.” I guess in some respects that account is accurate. Here in Havelock we don’t have a mall or any fine shopping establishments, we don’t have too many things to keep the younger crowd busy, no fancy night clubs or amusement parks. There are no theaters in which to enjoy a play or concert, no museums or cultural attractions, but for all its shortcomings, Havelock is still a great place to live. It isn’t the establishments, businesses or attractions that make a place a home, it is the people and in that regard, Havelock lacks nothing. 

      This past weekend, I spent a cold Saturday afternoon at the high school football field with hundreds of other people from town in order to raise money for a very special family. The event was called the Glenn Poole Celebration in honor of a local boy that nearly died due to an accidental drowning last fall. His recovery was nothing short of a miracle, but his twelve week hospital stay left the family with some daunting medical bills. So the high school along with various churches in the area got together to sponsor the fund raiser which involved a 5K run, cornhole tournament and walkathon. There was food, funnel cakes and prizes. There was also a whole lot of love.

      One of the first people I ran into at the event was Lori Mills. I met Lori and her husband Mike when our sons played little league together years ago. Lori and I would chat it up at the ball games while waiting for our sons to bat. Well, I would chat it up and Lori would keep the book. I am sure that doing the stats for the game was challenging when I was around. I tried so hard to be quiet but we had so much in common, and well, if you know me at all you know that quiet isn’t really my strong point. Rodney Helms, the team’s coach, use to joke that the book was a lot more accurate when the two of us were kept apart. Anyway, during those practices and games a friendship was forged. It is difficult to explain but there is something about Lori that draws you in. She is nothing short of amazing. She is one tough lady that has lived through her own living hell. Lori’s daughter, Haley, was killed in a tragic car accident when she was only thirteen. Anyone else might have given up or become bitter and withdrawn but not Lori and her husband Mike. They continue to give back to the community every chance they get. Instead of simply going to the Glenn Poole event, they participated. Mike played in the cornhole tournament and Lori was perusing the stadium quietly taking candid shots to make into a photo CD to give to the Poole family. As I talked to Lori I realized that even though she had been through so much she continues to be that wonderful person that I met on the ball field all those years ago. She didn’t let her circumstances destroy her, instead she used them to make her and her family stronger. She and her husband are an inspiration to me. Lori in particular is everything that I strive to be; loving, caring, tough, firm, witty, thoughtful and faith filled. I am so very thankful for our “coincidental” meeting, not that I believe in coincidence. Truth be told, I believe that Lori was put in my life to be a blessing and a source of inspiration. She has already filled that tall order and then some. It’s people like Lori and Mike Mills, Rodney and Angela Helms and the numerous others that turned out last Saturday that make Havelock, NC such a nice place to live. I am proud to call Havelock home and grateful to its residents for their acceptance and openness. I have felt the love from this community numerous times throughout the years and I am humbled to be considered a part of it. 

      So for our pay it forward project I got the kids out of bed last Saturday morning and told them something I am sure I have never said before and will most likely never say again; “Here’s some money. We are going the the Glenn Poole Celebration. I want you to over spend on everything and don’t come home with so much as a dime left.” The look of confusion on my son’s face that morning was priceless! He looks at me and asks, “Are you sure?” I answered with an affirmative “Yep, spend it all and have fun.” About half way through the event I located my son with a half dozen hotdogs in his jacket. He noticed my quizzical expression and said, “You said to spend it all!” That I did. We left that place with our spirits raised and our bellies full. 

      “Havenot” I think not! Havecommunity, Havekindness, Havehope, Havesupport, Havelove, that’s MY Havelock. Love this town! Thanks for the caring hearts, the acceptance and the constant encouragement. You will forever hold a special place in our hearts! :)

Laurie