Many years ago, when I was younger than I am now  My great grandparents and my grandparents left Harlan County, Kentucky, and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.  I don’t know the details of that move – and, quite frankly, I just don’t want to know. I have their same blood (mixed with a little Bourbon) running through me and I can only imagine what would make me, at that age, pack up and head down south.

Nevertheless, I grew to like Charlotte. (I can tell you it is not the same city we used to go visit.) This city has blossomed like a rose. They chose a sector (financial) and staked a claim. It paid off. Charlotte looks like a new city and I enjoy myself every time I am there (not to mention that restaurant that serves a flattened –fried chicken breast in honey and pecans – I never eat fried chicken unless I am in that city.)

It is still a little dry around the edges (the city, not the chicken.) Greater investment in the arts and historic preservation will take care of that. Also, developing more downtown condominiums for young people will stimulate the necessary foot-traffic required to make downtown really downtown and not a place that rolls up the streets as soon as the banks close.

As a whole, North Carolina is a perfect state. The beach, mountains, great public and private higher education, the North Carolina School for the Performing Arts, Asheville and the Biltmore Mansion – you name it, and North Carolina has it.

From a government standpoint, I think it is extremely well managed. It doesn’t quite match the state of Virginia in that area, which is managed as perfectly efficient as a government entity can be managed. Yet, it is close enough for government work.  I would put North Carolina’s public university system (and Virginia’s) up against any other state’s private university system any day of the week.

My memories of the place will always be fond ones ——— except when they are playing the University of Kentucky in basketball — then, just forget everything I said about the place.