LETTER FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR
IS YOUR HOME READY
FOR SUMMER ENTERTAINING? LET US HELP.
Return to Normal . . . Sort Of
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don't know about you, but I feel as if we are on the verge of another Roaring ’20s with our collective pent-up energies as more people are vaccinated, and we are venturing out of our quarantine comfort zones as we transition into a post-pandemic “normal.” Of course, like time itself, normal is relative and I think the late Tommy Edwards would have agreed. The community and the bluegrass universe is not normal without Tommy in it. We miss you, Tommy. You blessed us all. Starting on page 48, our Ultimate Summer Guide lists more than 20 fun and educational things to do in and around Chatham to reengage with favorite activities or to try something new. For a dash of inspiration, turn to page 66 to read about 91-yearold Lilian Pruett, who took a 65-year hiatus from playing table tennis yet competed in her third Chatham County Senior Games this year. Regardless of outcome, Lilian already feels like a winner: Getting back to in-person practices gave her the human connection she needs after spending more than a year alone in her Carolina Meadows villa. In Bear Creek, I was moved by Mark Stinson’s resilience – not for surviving four lightning strikes – but for raising his three kids as a single father who wants to be seen as a whole person, not as a human lightning rod. His story begins on page 44. So, this summer, before the world revs up to full speed again, take a moment to reflect on what means most to you right now. For me, that’s spending time, unmasked, at home with my family. That reminds me – I think I’ll donate some of the masks I made last year to the Chatham 250 time capsule (see page 34). It will be interesting to find out how we see ourselves 50 years from now. CM
Anna-Rhesa Versola rhesa@chathammagazinenc.com THE COVER Photo by John Michael Simpson 6
CHATHAM MAGAZINE
SUMMER 2021