Kevin Hensley
Today, I woke up in my bed with relatively new sheets and a roof over my head. The room was heated, as the crisp October weather has driven my home thermostat crazy over the last couple of weeks.
Half-asleep, I stumbled into my kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from my cold refrigerator to take my morning prescriptions. After taking care of my two beloved pups – Rascal and Buddy, whom I have had since 2010 – I stepped into a hot shower and finished my process of waking up.
Afterward, I put on my clean clothes, grabbed the lunch I packed the night before and walked out of my front door. Locking it behind me, I got into my car and began my lengthy commute to The Graham Star office. Though full of slow-moving traffic and heavy equipment, the road was intact from point A to point B.
Some 30 minutes later, I arrived at work to begin my day.
If reading a deep dive into a portion of my daily routine was a major bore to you, allow me to put it into perspective: just over an hour east of Graham County, there are people who have not been able to experience the simplicities of getting ready for a normal day in almost a month. Running water, bountiful options of food, clothing and even shelter are either a dream or just a memory for those in and around the Asheville area.
This column is short, because the message is simple: don’t forget how truly blessed Graham County was to avoid the destruction of Hurricane Helene, and let’s not take for granted how lucky we are just to have the essential means of life each day.
Kevin Hensley is the publisher/editor of The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, editor@grahamstar.com; phone, 828-479-3383; or on X, @KevinHensleyCNI.