An Edenton Hello Makes All the Difference
Most Saturdays in Edenton, you will find visitors shopping downtown and exploring our historic sites. They may come from neighboring Eastern North Carolina communities or from much farther away. As they walk along South Broad Street, they browse shop windows, enjoy lunch at one of our local restaurants and inevitably meet some of Edenton’s most cherished characters. Take Daniel for instance, strumming his guitar, rain or shine, usually near Surf, Wind and Fire.
On Saturday, Daniel was deep in conversation with a couple standing beside two hybrid electric bikes packed with sleeping gear. Dressed in serious biking clothes, they clearly weren’t out for a leisurely ride around town. I had to stop and say hello.
David and Marie Keohan had been on the road for 15 days since leaving their home in Alabama. Their goal is to bike all the way to Boston, their hometown before moving to Alabama four years ago. David served in the military, and making this trip together has long been on their bucket list.
Daniel, as many of us know, is outgoing and enjoys talking with just about everyone who stops to say hello. The Keohan’s were equally engaging, and as the couple prepared to head toward the waterfront, Daniel had an idea.
“Wow, you have come a long way,” he told them. “Are you collecting stickers from each place you stop? Would you like an Edenton sticker? I would be happy to purchase one for you from Surf, Wind and Fire so you can remember your time in Edenton.”
The couple was touched by Daniel’s offer and promised they would stop back on their way from the waterfront.
And they did.
Waiting for them was Daniel, with an Edenton sticker for the bike and a delicate bracelet for Marie to remember their visit.
In a world where everything seems to move so quickly, and so many of our conversations now take place online or over the phone, it is wonderful to witness a simple act of kindness and hospitality toward people we do not know.
That is something Edenton is known for, and something that happens here every day.
Of all the stops David and Marie will make on their long journey to Boston, I have a feeling their encounter with Daniel will be one they remember — and a story they will tell long after the trip is over.
Daniel was never asked to be an Edenton greeter. He wasn't assigned the job, and no one pays him to do it. He is simply part of the wonderful fabric of life that makes Edenton, Edenton.
The next time you walk by and hear Daniel playing one of his favorite songs, stop for a moment and say hello. Remember that this young man makes a difference in our town simply by being himself. He does it without being asked and without expecting anything in return.
He does it from the heart.
And I am so happy and proud to live in a beautiful town made up of people like Daniel.
P.S. Marie has my email address and has already reached out to tell me how much the encounter meant to them. She has promised to keep me updated as she and David continue their journey north.
You can never have enough 'Good News'
Get your Edenton 'Good News' directly to your email box every time we update
The Rivals of Amziah King...89 on Rotten Tomatoes
By Darryl Adachi
Until I committed myself to earnestly studying and memorizing the title of The Rivals of Amziah King , I kept referring to it simply as “the Matt McConaughey movie.” The title gives you no clue as to what the film is about. However, with the movie having been generally well reviewed—and boasting an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes—I was persuaded to check it out at the Taylor.
It’s difficult to get a handle on exactly what kind of movie The Rivals of Amziah King is. Is it a character study? A documentary about bees? A musical? A buddy movie? A heist caper? A revenge thriller? The film is unique, to say the least. It meanders through its first hour, setting up a story about a beekeeper/musician, his former foster daughter, and his musical band. The early part of the movie plays almost like a music video, featuring a lot of foot-stompin’ bluegrass songs performed by Amziah and his friends. From there, the movie moves into what seems more like a family drama, coupled with some good larnin’ about the secret life of bees. Mixed in with all of that are a couple of sequences that are, at the same time, funny and decidedly unpleasant—and, I might add, seemingly irrelevant to the rest of the film.
McConaughey plays Amziah King, an Oklahoma beekeeper who spends his days tending to his hives and his nights playing bluegrass music with his friends wherever they happen to gather—at a fast-food place, a church potluck dinner, or someone’s home. Amziah is the hub of his social circle, its spiritual anchor. It is while stopping at a local diner that Amziah becomes reacquainted with Kateri, played to great effect by newcomer Angelina LookingGlass. As a young girl, Kateri spent two years in foster care with Amziah and his then-wife. The two reconnect, and a bond begins to develop between them.
Amziah persuades Kateri to work with him on his bee farm, where she becomes his apprentice—and where she is subjected to various long-winded pontifications on bees, life, and other earthy and spiritual topics. McConaughey’s folksy preacher/philosopher persona also comes through as Amziah shares life lessons with friends who seem to hang on his every word. It is to McConaughey’s credit that his long-established laid-back personality allows him to credibly portray Amziah. His performance is one of the movie’s strong points.
