Last Tuesday, I was one of the presenters for the “history day” meeting of the 2026 Class of Leadership Cabarrus. (Cabarrus is the name of our county.)
Leadership Cabarrus is described as follows on the Cabarrus County Chamber of Commerce website (https://cabarrusncchamber.org/leadership-cabarrus/):
“Through a series of monthly class days from September through May, participants are introduced to and examine how leadership in the historical, geographical, educational, economic, governmental, and cultural segments work together to perpetuate and advance the Cabarrus County region and its citizens.
“The program is also designed to nurture and develop the leadership skills of current and potential leaders, offering a stimulating atmosphere that fosters diverse viewpoints and yields innovative solutions to the critical questions facing our community. The program’s focus is creating awareness and connecting leaders to the issues; it is not an academic leadership training program, but an excellent professional development opportunity to communicate with the Cabarrus County community. Furthermore, the program is non-partisan and does not recommend or advocate for partisan positions on public matters.”
Since the 1980s, Leadership Cabarrus has hosted more than 700 participants from 200 companies.
This was the third time I’ve been invited to be a presenter for Leadership Cabarrus. I spoke to the 2024 Leadership Cabarrus Class about the history of Harrisburg. I was invited back last year but had to cancel at the last minute due to illness.
After cancelling at the last minute in 2025, I was pleasantly surprised to be invited back this year.
The venue is not always the same. I spoke at the county office building in Concord in 2024. This year, I was scheduled to speak at Southern Grace Distilleries at Whiskey Prison in Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina.
Say what?
Yes, I was scheduled to speak in the chapel of the former prison, which is now a distillery. I thought this would make an interesting blog post, so I arrived a few minutes early and took some pictures.
Things soon went off the rails because the motorcoach (is that still the proper term for a bus?) transporting the 36-member Leadership Cabarrus Class had massive electronic issues and a replacement bus had to be requested from Winston-Salem – some 60 miles away.
Since the class members were stranded at the Eastern Cabarrus Museum, it was decided that I should leave the prison and drive back into Mt. Pleasant and meet the class members at 73 & Main Restaurant. When I arrived at 73 & Main, I could see the class members in the distance as they walked from the museum to the restaurant.
I must say that the people in charge of Leadership Cabarrus showed phenomenal leadership as they juggled the schedule on the fly and dealt with the disruption of the rest of the day’s schedule – which was planned down to the minute for the next six hours. The whole experience turned out to be an unexpected lesson in going with the flow.
The group was congenial. I only noticed one member who was visibly bored out of her mind as I spoke as fast as I could about the history of Harrisburg. Perhaps she was there under duress.
The presentation gave me an opportunity to briefly hold up my two local history books: Harrisburg, Did You Know? Cabarrus History, Book 1 and Harrisburg, Did You Know? Cabarrus History, Book 2 – in case any participants were so enamored by my speech that they wanted to learn more. (By the way, they are available at Second Look Books in Harrisburg and on Amazon in paperback and ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Harrisburg-Did-You-Know-Cabarrus-ebook/dp/B0BNK84LK1/ and https://www.amazon.com/Harrisburg-Did-You-Know-Cabarrus-ebook/dp/B0BXBQ1F79.)
Unbeknownst to me, one of the class members was the daughter of a school classmate of mine whom I’ve known for 65 years. Meeting Stephanie’s daughter was a great surprise! Coming full circle, I expect to see Stephanie at our high school class reunion this weekend.
I must have done an okay job because after I spoke, I was asked to present again in 2027. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get another chance to speak in a former prison. I finished speaking as the replacement motorcoach arrived, so everything worked out great for me. I have no idea how the rest of the day’s schedule went for the group. Fortunately, I got to go home.
I’m glad we still have freedom of speech in the United States, although Trump continues to attack the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Case in point: banning news agencies who report the truth about his evil deeds get banned from the White House. It’s not his house. It’s not his constitution. The White House and the U.S. Constitution belong to the people. Only a dictator attempts to control or silence a free press.
Janet
The First Amendment guarantees our right to religion, speech, the press, assembly, and our right to complain to and about the government. Don’t take one word of that Amendment for granted!
Have you been following Don Corleone, er,Trump ‘s at attack on Free Press because they were less than flattering about him?
Congratulations on your successful talk and being asked to return next year! Thanks for taking the time to get some photos of the prison to distillery to share with us. It’s good that the building good be put to use again instead of being torn down.
Beautiful post/article Janet! The photos are very interesting as is the history of the place where you spoke at. I reckon it is better now as a distillery. And it is so true that governments should be afraid of the people, and not the people of the government. But nowadays governments are assuming the role of the old kings. Public servants are now government officials and the elected ones think they own the country, instead of realising that they are employees of the people. I hope you are well and working on your manuscript. I am working on a new poetry book, in English this time. The Spanish one, as well as the novel, are now in the hands of the supposed (or desired) publishers. But there is a contest that I am also thinking of entering with a new novel. So, let us see. At least our weather has been excellent for the last few weeks. It is sunny, but with little humidity and a crisp 18 degrees here in the Aegean coast of Greece and Turkey. However, back in Spain we are going through a new heat wave. But looking forward to a peaceful autumn. All the best to you.
Thank you, Francis. The former prison/present-day distillery was an interesting looking place. I was sort of disappointed the plans suddenly changed and I had to speak at another location. Trump continues to trample all over the First Amendment this morning — ignoring the judge’s 1 a.m. order that he has to let CNN, MSNow, and Politico reporters inside the White House. If we don’t have a free press, we don’t have a democracy. And it has come to light that he overrode the ballroom’s architect because he (Trump) doesn’t want to follow fire safety regulations! Since he didn’t get Congressional approval to build the hideous thing, surely our next President won’t have to get Congressional approval to demolish the gaudy monstrosity. And now the 250-foot-tall arch he intends to build is going to be a military installation to house drones and have snipers on the roof? It begs the question of who he will instruct those snipers to kill. My guess is American citizens… anyone who dares to peacefully protest? He is siding with China that there should be on guardrails on AI. Russian oligarchs paying for Don Jr.’s wedding party. Can Trump’s corruption and disdain for the American citizens and our U.S. Constitution get any more blatant? Not to mention the awful speech he made at the UN! And praising President Xi of China to the hilt today. Every single day he hits a new low. It never stops. I do believe he will do whatever it takes to stop or disrupt the election in November. And yet… he still has his cult followers. It boggles the mind. As often happens in North Carolina, it was 92 degrees on Sunday and didn’t get out of the 60s yesterday. I have bronchitis, but the drugs are helping. It sounds like you are getting a lot of writing done. I wonder if you ever sleep! Best of luck, if you decide to enter that contest.
Thank you. After the motorcoach problem wrecked the day’s schedule, I was glad I was on the agenda for the morning and not later in the day. I wonder if all the afternoon presenters were able to have time to speak. I’m glad it was last Tuesday and not Tuesday of this week. What started as a sore throat on Sunday has turned into bronchitis and a trip to the doctor on Tuesday of this week. The drugs are helping, but my ribs are really sore from all my coughing. Also, on Friday I had to lie down on my stomach on the dirt floor of the tractor shed to take a picture of a part on the back of the tractor’s rotary mower that was malfunctioning so I could sent the photo to the tractor dealership. I haven’t seen a bug or insect yet, but something bit me seven times and my arms and legs swelled up like footballs. It was like being bitten by fire ants, but there are no signs of fire ants anywhere near the shed. I was in a hurry, so I didn’t take time to put a tarp on the ground. I won’t NOT do that again! So… it’s been an interesting last six days. The life of a writer! I hope you are doing well. I don’t think I can watch the news anymore. Every time I think he can’t get worse, he gets a whole lot worse! So much for the First Amendment! Don’t you just love the people who are only in favor of the Second Amendment?
I certainly have. I’m ready to throw a brick through the TV screen! I had an allergic reaction to some bites by something I never did even see on Friday. I’m still itching from that. Sunday’s sore throat turned into bronchitis and a trip to the doctor on Tuesday. I’m feeling much better, but the news isn’t helping my mood. I knew he would ignore the judge’s 1 a.m. order. It seems the DOJ is ignoring it, too. Wonder what will happen it DOJ does not report to the judge at 12:30 this afternoon. I want to see some people led out of the White House in bright orange jumpsuits. I’m furious!
Well, I too went through a bronchial infection when I returned from Greece, but thankfully getting better and better. I am writing as much as possible since I decided that this summer I would not paint, and since June I have not. But there is still a lot to do. The political situation worsens day by day and I truly am disgusted with what I see on the tele or read, so I am trying to cleanse my brain of all the negativity that surrounds us on the national and international front. Hope you are feeling better and getting better day by day. And I hope you are still diligently working on your manuscript. Cooler weather now over here in Turkey. All the best.
He seems to get more pathetic by the day, if that is even possible.
You’re welcome. What a horrendous week! I’m so sorry you’re sick and insect-bitten. I’m doing okay. Just taking it one day at a time. I did attend a wonderful generative poetry workshop last week sponsored by the Poetry Society of New Hampshire. I’m very happy with the poem I wrote. And it was free! I swear, the 2nd Amendment has been the cause of more deaths than the wars we’ve in. Takes care, Janet
1
Remember how awful we thought he was in his first term when he hadn’t discovered all the levers of government and he had one or two people in his inner circle who occasionally tried to rein him in? I’m glad we didn’t know then that he would be elected again and just how evil and unhinged he would become.
I’m glad you had such a nice time at the poetry workshop! We need something like that occasionally to recharge our writing batteries — or I do, at least.
I hope his preferred group of voters has learned from their mistakes but doubt it…
So do I!!
Congratulations, Janet!
I would like to think they have, but I’ve never been an optimistic person.
Thank you, Edward. I’m way out of my comfort zone as a speaker!
You’re welcome! They keep inviting you, so you’re doing great.
Either that, or there’s no one else from Harrisburg for them to call on. LOL!
😂 Harrisburg is pretty big and close to Charlotte, so I think you’re doing a good job.
Thank you for the encouragement, Edward. Harrisburg has grown from 300 to more than 21,000 in my lifetime — most of that since I was a teenager. I remember when we had no traffic, no traffic lights, and everyone knew everyone.
You’re very welcome, Janet. 21,000 people is a lot, so that tells you something.
Awesome Janet! 👏🏼🙌🏼👏🏼
Thank you, Kym. I keep telling people, “I’m a write. Not a speaker!” Maybe if I do it enough, I won’t be so nervous. I’m doing the same presentation next week for a senior citizens group at a church in Concord… plus… I get a free covered dish lunch! Can’t beat that!
How awesome Janet! I’m confident you are going to be outstanding my friend! Yay, for a good ole covered dish! Yummy! 😜
Thank you, Kym. Maybe knowing there is a covered dish lunch at the end will help me get through my presentation. LOL!