“Asheville
Calling…”
by
Maureen K. McCarthy
North Carolina was
not on our radar screen, let alone Asheville. We were more than loving
life right where we were—in Aberdeen, Scotland. Who would elect
to leave such a stunning country, easy access to Europe and free healthcare?
Not me.
But then…Asheville
called.
One evening my husband,
Zelle, and I went to the movies, and while sitting there, I suddenly was
watching dueling movie screens. One was “Planet of the Apes”
(we had free movie passes), and the other was a little movie screen out
of the corner of my eye telling me to write a book on The State of Grace
Document (a tool I’d created to replace legal contracts, www.stateofgracedocument.com),
take it to the world, and do it from North Carolina. Well, we’d
never been to N.C., didn’t know a soul there and hadn’t thought
to teach others about this tool.
These movie screens,
seen out of the corner of my eye were not new to me. I’ve had these
“visions” ever since my son Brennan died before receiving
a heart transplant. It’s like he plugged me into something far larger
than my comprehension. For years I didn’t tell a soul, then I called
them dreams, and finally I didn’t care if people thought I was weird
and I called them what they are—visions. They ‘re not predictions,
but more of a little glimpse into what could be, if I choose to take the
path. It was a vision that brought us to Scotland and now a vision telling
us to leave.
Not knowing the first
thing about North Carolina, we emailed eleven people whom we thought might
give us insight on specifically where to go. Nine people from remarkably
different walks of life responded and all nine said Asheville. We’d
never heard of Asheville, and to be perfectly honest, I didn’t even
realize there were mountains in the state that always conjured up the
outer banks or maybe Raleigh.
After loads of tears
and anger at this vision asking me to make such a ridiculous leap, Zelle
convinced me to follow it. He reminded me that every time I follow them,
doors open up that I couldn’t have imagined asking for. The first
week of December 2001 we came home to Chicago before heading South. Just
after we arrived, my Dad mentioned going to Tennessee on business and
would we like to drive down with him to look at Asheville.
We came for three
days in December and wondered how we never knew it existed. It was majestic
and enveloping all at the same moment. At 9:30 PM, the night before returning
to Chicago, I left voicemails for several realtors regarding the type
of place we were looking for. The fourth realtor answered the phone, saying
the plumbing was broken and he was there with the plumber, so why not
answer the phone. I described our desire for an older home with character,
hardwood floors, etc. He said he had the perfect house for us and it wasn’t
to be listed till the following week, but we could drive by tonight. He
told me a bit about the 150-year-old stone, historic, church Parsonage
with original hardwood floors, fireplace in every room and a long, winding
driveway through the forest. Then he told me the price, which seemed low
having lived in Chicago, so we assumed it was not well cared for. That
night we drove by and tried to see inside the windows with a tiny pen
flashlight. It looked gorgeous on the outside, but we still believed the
inside must be a pit.
The next morning a
wonderful agent showed us the house and we were stunned. It is a perfect
example of my visions offering something I couldn’t have thought
to ask for. This house and the sacred grounds it sits upon are a true
sanctuary and we are honored to live here. My desire is to live in this
house till I die. (Hopefully I won’t receive a vision to go to Iowa
or some such place.) We moved in February 2002 and have been calling Asheville
home ever since. This house, this magical terrain, is the first place
in my life I’ve ever felt at home. I’m someone who rarely
misses people or places, as I tend to live in a more present state, but
shortly after we moved, we left for a two-month business trip and I missed
home for the first time. It felt good.
Zelle and I are fascinated
by how common our bizarre story is of being called to Asheville among
the many who have been drawn here over the years. It seemed to us that
a telling and a connection of these stories, and the people who have lived
them, could be an enormous gift to the city that welcomed them. Why are
we being drawn here? How can we weave ourselves into the already vibrant
community that is here? How is it different moving to Asheville versus
say, Charlotte? We believe the hearts and minds of the people pulled here
might have an unheard of ability to create incredibly innovative ideas,
even those regarding the growth and sustainability issues other cities
face. There’s nothing average about this city or the people it envelops.
Why is that and what next? It seems that in the telling of the stories,
we’ll open the doors to an unheard of future. Are you one of those
people? What’s your story?
As you know by being on this site, Zelle and I are hosting a World Café conversation called “Asheville Calling…” at the Blue Moon Bakery and Café, in an effort to hold space for your stories. We’d love it if you could join us. Email us your story to post on the web and share at the gathering. (stories@ashevillecalling.com)
Click here to read Zelle's story.
maureen@stateofgracedocument.com